Brainship Enterprise
by Starsinger
Summary: Crossover between Anne McCaffrey's Brainship universe and Star Trek. The Enterprise is an experiment in many ways. This includes its brain, Jim. Don't own them.
1. Chapter 1

**Brainship Enterprise**

by Starsinger

 **Crossover between Anne McCaffrey's Brainship universe and Star Trek. The Enterprise is an experiment in many ways. This includes its brain, Jim. Don't own them.**

"George? George, please, don't leave me!" tears streamed down Winona's face as she feared for her husband and the baby she was about to give birth to.

"I love you," George's voice came over the comm, then absolute silence as the baby came into the world. The baby wasn't even moving. The doctor looked worried as she turned to the emergency equipment behind her.

"WHAT'S WRONG. WHY WON'T HE CRY!" Winona screamed at the doctor. She watched as the infant fitfully moved. He looked perfect, he just wasn't crying.

"What's wrong?" George asked over the speaker.

"George, I need you here!" Winona cried.

"I'm coming," George said. "Brian has just booted me from the bridge," he whispered. Brian, the brain of the USS Kelvin. "Goodbye Brian."

"Take care of your family, George. I'll make sure you get away safely," a human voice sounded over the speaker. George turned and saluted the speaker before hurrying away. He made it into the shuttle in time for the hatch to slam shut behind him. Winona was quiet.

"We had to sedate her, Sir," the doctor told him. "Your son is stable. Unfortunately, he has some defects that ensure that he won't survive his first month, unless…"

"Unless he goes into the brain program," George whispered. He looked down at the tiny infant. A tube had been inserted into his throat to help him breathe. "My great-uncle was born with some defects," George whispered.

"I'm sorry, it happens," the doctor told him, laying a hand on his arm. "I've contacted the B&B program back on Earth. They'll be waiting for you when you get back," she told him. George turned back to his wife. How was he going to tell his wife that their son would never be coming home?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jimmy!" a voice called from spacedock. "Tell your minders that your family wants to see you!"

Jim chuckled. He would have shaken his head if that was possible. Sam's voice could be plainly heard over the speaker. Unlike most brains, Jim's family had kept in touch with him. They gave him a solid place to interact with softshells, unlike his classmates. "Hey, Gina, let him on the transporter pad."

"Not just Sam, sir," the enlisted woman told him. Jim had gone through a similar program to that of Starfleet Academy to prepare him for his assignment in Starfleet. He even wore the rank of Lieutenant.

"Did Mom and Dad come with you?" Jim asked.

"Of course we did!" Winona's voice sounded. "We didn't miss your graduation!" Jim's graduation from the shellperson program with honors in military tactics, medical training, diplomacy, and other things Starfleet would need for the person in charge of its newest ship. Jim activated the transporter pad and his family beamed aboard.

Jim had been born with underdeveloped lungs and other abnormalities that meant he couldn't survive outside the womb. So, Winona and George made the heart-wrenching decision to let him grow up under the leadership of the Brain and Brawn program that was as old as Starfleet. After the tinkering that would keep Jim forever small, he was slipped into his shell two weeks after his traumatic birth. He'd thrived and his early grasp of military tactics made his career path clear. It had been Captain Christopher Pike who had informed him that he would be on Starfleet's newest ship, Enterprise.

Jim laughed as his family fell out of the turbolift and onto the bridge. "Wow, Jimmy, this is all yours?" Sam asked.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Jim asked, obviously thrilled by his first assignment.

"She sure is, Son," George told him. "When's her maiden voyage."

"Soon, Just waiting on the graduating class from the Academy," Jim responded. Suddenly, a red alert from Earth alerted him. "Hey, guys, I don't mean to be abrupt, but we're receiving a distress signal from Vulcan. It's likely I'm going to be moving much sooner than that."

"Baby, are you sure?" Winona asked, glancing around the bridge.

"Yeah, well, until then…" George laughed as he sat in the center seat. It was surprisingly comfortable, and, as always, he wished he could protect both his sons from harm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chris glanced at Spock, "Is she ready?"

"Yes, James was installed just this morning. I still am not sure…" Spock responded.

"James is only the third shellperson to volunteer to be installed into a Starfleet vessel, Spock. I know you'd prefer T'kal, but she wasn't available," Chris responded as they exited the shuttle. He glanced behind him to find McCoy and other candidates nearby. "He'll be just as green as the rest of them. Jim!" Chris called.

"Yes, Chris," Jim's voice immediately answered. Many of the cadets jumped at the sound of the disembodied voice.

"You ready to go?" Chris asked not stopping for a moment.

"As ready as I can be, are we headed for Vulcan?" Jim asked.

"Yes, and don't forget to let the crew do what they're supposed to. Let the navigator plot the course," Chris said.

"Yes, sir," Jim responded. Chris had never dealt with a shellperson professionally before. He just hoped that the cadets remembered that this was Jim's home, and he couldn't leave and go on shoreleave like they could.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

McCoy stopped and listened to the light baritone seeming to come from everywhere. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Lieutenant James," Uhura responded with a grin. "We have a brain."

"Of course we have a brain," McCoy responded. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't."

Uhura grinned at McCoy's irascible behavior, "No, the ship, it has a brain." She laughed as the light slowly dawned over the good doctor. This was a brainship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

by Starsinger

 **We learn more about Jim days after his birth. Don't own them.**

It took two weeks to get back to Earth. Two long weeks in which their older son, Sam, and the rest of the families waited anxiously for word on the newest addition to the family. The USS Hood had picked up their shuttle and was taking them toward home. Young Jim's condition stabilized, but that was the best any of the doctors could tell them. There was another baby born soon after the Kelvin had been destroyed. Gary Mitchell, born less than five hours after Jim was, thrived in the incubator in which he'd been placed, unfortunately both his parents had died. His father on the Kelvin, and his mother soon after his birth, her bleeding so heavy they could not stop it.

Winona stayed with Jim in Sickbay. The silent wait for Jim to live or die was unbearable. No one knew what to say to the heartbroken parents. Jim's skin had a bluish tent to it as well as his lips. Incredibly, his brain activity was normal for a newborn. It was almost as if he knew if he made it back to Earth, he wouldn't have to struggle to live anymore.

"What will happen to Gary?" Winona asked suddenly one morning. She saw the healthy newborn being fed by the nurses. She saw her son unable to be held and thought bitterly about what fate brought them. She stroked her son's nose as the nurse replied.

"He'll be handed over to CPS. He's a newborn, he'll be adopted quickly," came the reply. Winona couldn't watch, she kept repeating to herself that everything would be fine when they reached Earth. The doctors would be able to fix what was wrong with Jim.

The wait from the time they reached Earth to when the doctors finally came out seemed like days. Sam had come in wanting to see his little brother, and they had to tell him he wasn't coming home. The family grew closer, Tiberius paced the floor. Chris wandered in and found himself sitting in a chair trying to entertain Sam. Nothing worked as time dragged on.

Finally, Dr. Pierce walked in. A tall, strong man, this case had reduced him to tears. "Mr. and Mrs. Kirk, I'm sorry. There's nothing **we** can do," he told them. Winona collapsed into a chair. "The B and B Program feels that he is an excellent prospect for their shellperson program." He turned to a woman with a clipboard.

"Will we never see him again?" George asked quietly.

"No, you can see him, or his shell," the woman responded. You can even have a gene extrapolation of what he would have looked like if he'd survived to adulthood. Many parents choose to end their parental rights, some do not. We have two weekends a month where families can keep tabs on their young." Jim was signed over to the program that day, and the surgery was successful. Even though her heart ached, Winona found a little room for the little orphan who went home with them that same day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jim!" Chris called as he entered the bridge.

A hologram appeared to his right. Several of the Bridge crew gasped. "Yes, Chris?" The hologram was of a tall, blonde young man with piercing blue eyes. While he favored his father, Chris could see Winona echoed there as well. He wore command yellow on the bridge.

"What's our status?" Chris asked.

"She's ready to go, sir. All systems normal," Jim replied as he "looked" around at the crew. "Welcome aboard, everyone," he said with a smile.

"Tell me if there's anything I should know," Chris told him. "Oh, we have two brawn candidates on board for your perusal. Cadet Leonard McCoy, MD, he's currently being a doctor. The other is David Olsen, our Chief Engineer. You can interview at your leisure."

"What about Gary Mitchell?" Jim asked with a frown.

"He's on suspension regarding an academic issue. I know he's your adopted brother, but why do you ask?" Chris asked.

"He was on the roster," Jim temporized. "I'll interview both of the others," Jim said before vanishing.

Jim reappeared beside McCoy's table just as Gary passed out. "He's not supposed to be here, Doctor," Jim told him.

McCoy rolled his eyes at the hologram, "I know that, Lieutenant. I snuck him aboard. Are you going to tell the captain?" he asked sarcastically.

Jim peered at this brother speculatively, "No, I'll let him figure it out. I'll be talking to both of you later, brawn interview and all."

Leonard froze as Chekov's announcement came over the speaker. He then relaxed as Gary woke up, "Aw, Gary, I see you're awake, my GOD!" even Jim had to look twice at Gary's overlarge hands. Meanwhile, Gary was muttering about a lightning storm in space and Jim's mind was just a step ahead of him…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

by Starsinger

 **We learn more about Jim's early life and Gary and Bones' decisions to become brawns in addition to their work with Starfleet. Don't own them.**

Jim, like his classmates and those who preceded him, was "wired" into his shell. His skin and nerves and brain patterns were used to control the shell and his environment. Instead of the fingers that would not work, his brain powered servos on the skin of his shell to move a pencil, turn on a flashlight, or even turn the pages of a book. If someone laid a hand on his shell, he felt it. He felt it like a normal human would on their skin, only instead of nerves relaying it to his brain, it was sensors on the skin of the shell relayed it to his brain.

The first, most difficult thing Jim remembered doing was manipulating a pencil well enough to play a game of tic tac toe with a teacher, a fellow shellperson. It took him an hour to grasp the pencil and another hour to manage the intricacies of moving that simple instrument into a simple X or O. An hour later he was using the same pencil to sign his name. He was just two years old.

The people in the shells were there for various reasons. Some, like Jim, would simply have not survived outside the womb, or not survived for long. Others their genetic abnormalities were such that their bodies would have been twisted and almost useless in normal society. No one cared what you looked like in the shell, they just cared what your brain was capable of. For exercise they scooted their shells around the track set up in the Gym, and for human contact, they had the cadets and the Brawns.

Starfleet Academy was located down the street from the Institute where not only Brains were trained but their mobile counterparts, Brawns. They came into weekly contact with "softshells" as they were called, so they could get used to them. Most Brains served in public capacities running corporate computers, administering space stations, hospitals, and other facilities used by both the public and private sector. Still others were built into ships. Most of the ships were used as couriers and diplomatic services, going from planets and space stations dropping off needed supplies and the occasional diplomat needed to head off war.

A few joined the Exploration and Military branches, ever standing ready to help the Federation defend itself. Even fewer, five in its history, joined Starfleet. Jim would become the sixth, and the third active Brain in Starfleet. When he graduated he was installed into the Enterprise, if you knew where to look, he was in Engineering, tucked near the warp core reactor, and he was ready for his first brawn. Brains lived many years, some to the age of 300, and they went through many brawns in that time. So, it was that Jim was looking forward to picking his first Brawn.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leonard and Gary on the other hand had just joined Starfleet. Winona and George, while proud of their adopted son, worried about him. They weren't happy about having two sons in Starfleet, but knew they couldn't live their lives for them. He met Bones at the Institute as they were the only ones present wearing cadet reds.

"Alright, people, listen up, this is your orientation," a bored looking man said looking out over the crowd. "Welcome to the B and B Institute. We train Shellpeople, as they like to be called, to serve in one of many capacities in the Federation. We train Brawns, that's you in case any of you thought you needed a brain, to be their mobile partner. One of the many reasons we have Cadets here is that we have one Shellperson headed for Starfleet in three years. I cannot name him, or the ship where he's headed, but if you are lucky, you'll be his partner in the years ahead."

"Never forget that shellpeople are people," the lecturer wrapped up at the end of the long and rather boring lecture. "And you'll do fine. Tomorrow, you'll meet your first shellpeople. Report back here at 0700 hours."

Leonard leaned over to Gary, "I wonder what they're like?"

"Like anyone else, only small," Gary replied whimsically picking up his hat.

"Smaller? How would you know?' Dr. Leonard McCoy," Leonard told him by way of introduction.

"Gary Mitchell-Kirk," Gary responded. "My little brother is in that program. His name is Jim. Used to jump on his shell and go for a ride when I was little…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You always did know how to make an entrance, Gary. Why are you hiding out here in Sickbay?" Jim asked him.

"I'm not supposed to be here?" Gary asked. Jim looked at him. "Academic suspension, they think I cheated on the Kobayashi Maru." Gary waved it aside dismissively.

"Did you?" Jim asked.

"Uh, yeah," Gary responded before sprinting over to a computer. "Lightning storm in space. Doesn't that, ouch!" Gary yelled as Leonard hit him with a hypo. "ring a bell, Jimmy. The day the Kelvin was destroyed?"

Jim was right beside him, jogging down hallways McCoy right behind him still scanning. "Yeah, it was described as that by Dad."

"How are you running intact as a hologram," McCoy asked incredulously as they reached Engineering.

"Holoemitters set along each corridor," Jim replied.

"Uhura, that transmitton. Wath it Klinar?" Gary asked.

"Wag ith Klindar?" Gary asked slowly.

"Klingon?" Uhura asked

"Yeth, wha wong wid my tun?" Gary asked McCoy as Jim stifled laughter.

"Do you have numb tongue?" McCoy asked.

"Nubtug?" Gary asked just before McCoy hit him with another hypo. "Stop that!" he cried. Leonard waved it various people who tried to get close.

Jim said, "I'm glad you're never getting anywhere near me with that thing," just before he vanished as Leonard, Gary and Uhura headed for the Bridge.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

by Starsinger

 **Gary manages to get into trouble while Jim, well he's Jim. Don't own them.**

Jim reappeared on the bridge. Some of the cadets were not used to Jim's holographic self and gasped. Spock simply nodded an acknowledgment as Jim blurted out, "Chris, we have a problem. We need to stop the ship."

Chris shook his head. It surprised him that Jim forgot he could stop the ship himself. "Why do we need to stop the ship?" Chris asked as Gary and Bones burst onto the bridge telling him that he needed to stop the ship. "Gary?!" Chris exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Gary managed to stumble through a more or less coherent explanation of what was happening on Vulcan.

Sulu brought the ship out of warp as Chris rounded on Spock. "What he says is plausible, Captain. We would do better to enter the situation with a plan that go in blind. We do not know what we will face when we enter orbit. It might be best if Jim was in control when we do."

Chris considered Spock's words before returning to his seat. "Jim, return us to warp. You are in control when we reach Vulcan."

"Yes, Chris," Jim replied. McCoy left to return to Sickbay as Jim disappeared. "Now leaving warp and entering Vulcan space. Uhura edged out the comm officer, hoping to chatter. It was dead silent as warp space vanished and the entered a starship graveyard. Jim pulled all of his training to avoid the saucer section of one ship and a nacelle of another. He used another part of his sensors to beam those left alive from various pods and bubbles of air in ships onto the Enterprise. Spock watched with admiration as Jim effortlessly performed all these tasks. "Incoming!" Jim shouted. "Brace for impact!"

Chris gripped the armrests of his chair as others hung on to whatever they could. The ship rocked as something hit the ship. "What was that?" Chris asked.

"Photon torpedo," Jim responded. "It's coming from…" he didn't finish as more torpedoes hit the ship. "Chris, we have an incoming message from the combatant vessel."

"Onscreen," Chris snapped.

The man was bald, with pointed ears, and he surveyed the bridge with both contempt and curiosity. "Hello, Enterprise," he focused on the center chair. "Who are you?"

"I am Captain Christopher Pike," Chris began.

"Hello, Chris, my name is Nero," his eyes kept looking for someone who wasn't there. His eyes finally alighted on Spock. The conversation continued that included a scathing remark toward Spock. "Of course you don't know me, we haven't met, yet. Chris, if you want to save your ship you will come aboard my ship."

"Agreed," Chris said instantly. The conversation ended as Chris rose and headed to the turbolift. "Spock, Gary come with me," they arrived in the turbolift and Chris called, "Jim!"

"I'm sorry, Chris, Leonard is currently short-handed and my efforts are best used in assisting him," Jim replied. "I am listening."

"Okay, Spock, you're in charge. Gary, you're the First Officer until I get back. Gary, you're coming with me to take out that drill. You're not supposed to be here."

"Captain, I do not understand human humor, but…" Spock started.

"This isn't a joke, Spock. Gary, knock out that drill and get back to the ship. Olsen and Sulu will join you," Chris said.

"What about you?" Gary asked.

"Well, you'll just have to come get me," Chris responded. "Jim!"

"Yes, Chris?" Jim asked.

"Try to keep these two from killing each other!" Chris called with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Just exactly HOW am I supposed to do that?" Jim muttered. Spock shook his head, he didn't understand that one either.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jim stopped helping McCoy briefly. "Excuse me a moment, Doctor. You're about to have another patient."

"Who?" McCoy asked tiredly looking around.

"T'Kal," Jim responded. "Her shell is intact and I'm about to beam her onto the pad." McCoy nodded as he continued to treat his current patient.

"Spock to Dr. Puri," a voice came over the comm.

A nurse hit the comm on the wall as McCoy answered, "McCoy here, Dr. Puri was killed…"

"Then you are now the Chief Medical Officer," Spock responded.

"Tell me about it. What do you need?" McCoy responded.

"Just ascertaining the situation, Doctor," Spock responded.

"I'm busy," McCoy muttered. "How's the vital signs?" McCoy asked.

"Stable. 140/80, 88 bpm, 16 respiration," Jim responded. Jim studied the possible brawn. McCoy was the only one of the candidates he had not met. Gary was his brother, and he knew him well. Olsen was a year ahead of Gary and McCoy and he'd had regular contact with that class as his likely brawn would come from it. It was McCoy that he had to figure out. "Gary told me he calls you Bones," Jim finally said.

"Yeah, it's really annoying," McCoy responded. "Why do you bring that up?"

"You're a brawn candidate, I think we should get to know each other, especially if we survive this. T'Kal is on her way up. She's talking so she's alive. Sensory deprivation will be her biggest trauma," Jim responded. Sensory deprivation, the shell they were housed in kept them safe, even if blown into the vacuum of space, unfortunately, if separated from their ship in such a fashion, they could feel and see nothing. Some shellpeople had been known to go mad if left alone too long. Jim only hoped he'd found her in time.

McCoy walked over to the shell and scanned it, making sure his right hand came into contact with the shell. "Who…who are you," the voice came from the shell. Jim materialized beside McCoy.

"Dr. Leonard McCoy, you're aboard the USS Enterprise, NCC-XJ-1701," he responded.

"XJ? You're a brainship?" T'Kal responded. "Without a Brawn?"

"I'm Jim," Jim responded. "This is our first voyage. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Jim. For your timely rescue as well. You are young, Jim. I must rest. If we survive this you will do well," T'Kal went silent.

"How is she?" Jim asked.

"Physically, well, Gary tell you how I got the nickname?" McCoy asked.

"Yeah, he did, Bones," Jim added. Jim ducked as Bones threw a spanner at his holographic form.

 **In the brainship universe, a brainship is designated "XX" until they choose a brawn. Enterprise is "XJ", the brawn's first initial would be first with Jim's name last. If Gary becomes his brawn, Enterprise becomes "GJ" while with Leonard it would be "LJ". We'll not go with "BJ", all sorts of dirty jokes would go from there.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

by Starsinger

 **We start to see various people's views of their ship and Jim. Don't own them.**

 _Spock_

Spock turned to see Jim behind him. "Jim, help where you are needed, please. How is T'Kal?" he asked, almost as an afterthought.

"Considering she was alone for almost three hours, she is doing well. When we have time, we might have her connected to the ship in some capacity, to help with the work," Jim responded. Work was an understatement. They were limping back to rendezvous with the fleet, and Gary had been ejected from the ship. Jim couldn't help but worry about him, he was his little brother. Gary always joked that Jim was the little brother, but Jim was born four hours before Gary, no matter his physical size.

"I want to thank you for not interfering with Cadet Mitchell," Spock started.

"I didn't have a choice, Spock, there was no physical way I could have interfered. I don't agree with it, Gary IS my brother," Jim told him.

Spock looked up, "Your parents are George and Winona Kirk?"

"They are. They kept in touch with me through my training at the Institute. It's not common, but it does happen. Gary and I were both born on the Enterprise. I was born ill, and Gary became an orphan shortly after he was born. The doctors still can't explain what happened to my body. Genetically, I'm as sound as any of this crew. This is what I would look like as an adult if it was possible," Jim responded.

"Did your case get sent to the Vulcan Science Academy?" Spock asked curiously.

Jim looked at him. "I…I don't know. It wouldn't have mattered by the time I was born it was too late. What about T'Kal?" Jim asked. The shellperson was Vulcan and it took practitioners from the Vulcan Halls of Healing to adapt her to the environment of the shell.

"I am unaware of the circumstances of her birth," Spock admitted. "She is eighty years old and, like you, can expect to live many more years beyond the Vulcan norm. You will excuse me. I need to see to my father." Jim nodded his head before vanishing.

Spock was intrigued by Jim. Jim was a sentient being and therefore should be respected as such. Spock knew what it was like to face bullies because you were different, and Jim and Spock were VERY different. Spock went down to Engineering to look at the column where Jim physically resided. A password only known by the Institute and Jim's future brawn(s) could open the column and get to the shell containing Jim. It would take something extreme, such as the ship was in imminent danger of destruction, to open the column. In case of that, the pod would simply be ejected to be picked up by a rescue vessel.

Spock straightened and turned around. Chief Engineer Olsen died over Vulcan, and Engineering still functioned efficiently thanks to well -trained cadets and Jim's occasional help. They would need someone to take over, but that might be able to wait until they returned to Earth.

 _Sulu_

Sulu sat at the console looking down at it. He knew about the Institute. He was born and reared in San Francisco, home of both the Academy and the Institute. He'd briefly considered entering the Institute as a brawn candidate, but had never followed through. Then he'd married and had a little girl. The time never seemed to present itself. He'd entered Starfleet Academy soon after he and Abigail had come to the same conclusion, they didn't belong together. He wasn't interested in women. He'd tried. He looked over at the youngster on the bridge, he was cute. Sulu smiled.

Sulu had become aware of Jim's presence shortly after the Captain had arrived on the Bridge. Pike had told him to go to warp. He pressed the correct button and nothing happened. It was embarrassing. "Is the parking brake on, Ensign?" Pike asked sarcastically.

"Uh, no, I," he stumbled.

"Is the inertial dampner disengaged?" Spock asked politely.

Sulu turned back to his console to see a discreet light blinking red on it. Startled, he pressed the button before answering, "Yes, sir, now it is. Going to warp."

Sulu heard Pike chuckle, "Good job of leaving it to the crew to figure things out, Jim. Attention crew!" Pike spoke up. "Just a reminder that we have a minder. Jim is the brain behind this ship. Be polite, stop by and say hello when he pops up. Speak of the devil," Pike said as an image swam into view on the bridge. Sulu nearly jumped out of his skin.

"I'm being good, Chris," Jim said.

"That would be a first," Chris said. Then the conversation about brawns occurred and Jim abruptly departed.

"How much do you wanna bet Gary isn't as 'absent' as he's supposed to be," Sulu muttered. Chekov gave him a half-grin. Yep, this was going to be a very interesting voyage.

 _Scotty_

When Scotty arrived on the Enterprise he did it with a splash. He found himself inside one of the coolant pipes leading to the engines, and quickly headed for trouble. Gary saw his problem and made a dash for a nearby board to try and stop Scotty's imminent demise. Just as Scotty was about to hit the turbines, the doors opened and he came crashing to the floor with a wet plop. "Scotty, are you okay?" Gary asked.

"My ears are ringing' bu' otherwise I think I'm fine. How'd ye do tha'?" he asked. "Ye ne'er touched the console."

"That would be because of me," a voice said before an image of a tall, blonde man materialized before them.

"Who are you?" Scotty asked.

"Jim," Gary bit out. "Who all knows we're here."

"Security's on the way," Jim told him. "How'd you get back on boar? We're at Warp 5."

"Long story," Gary muttered. "I hope he's right," he said.

"Who?" Jim asked.

"Not now," Gary responded as Hendorff arrived. Jim didn't like Hendorff. He kept calling Jim "it" or "Lieutenant" showing him no respect, or sarcastic respect. Gary just brushed him off, but he did it for a reason. He always had a reason.

The fight was brief and Sarek intervened sparing Gary more trauma. Spock left the bridge quickly, not looking at anyone. "I like this ship! It's exciting!" he exclaimed. "So, Jim, where are ye lad?" he asked.

Jim instantly liked the Scot. He addressed him personally and with a twinkle in his eye. Jim appeared next to Gary who looked like he was about to fall over. "Yes, Scotty?" Jim asked.

"Are ye the brain of the ship?" Scotty asked.

"I am," Jim said.

"My life is filled. No' only do I have a me hands on the Enterprise, she is a brainship! Oh, I do like this ship!" he exclaimed. Sulu and Chekov shook their heads in laughter as Jim suppressed a laugh. He LIKED this man.

 **We're not done with first impressions, I promise.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

by Starsinger

 **Gary, Sarek, and Gaila wade in on their observations of Jim. Don't own them.**

 _Gary_

Gary knew he should be back on the bridge, they would be entering Sector 001 at any moment. Earth was in danger as were his parents and older brother. He felt he needed to acknowledge Jim in some way. Tell him that his brother wasn't mad at him or ignoring him. He laid his hand on the wall under Jim's column. "Jim, thank you," he said.

"Why are you thanking me?" Jim asked.

"For letting me fight on my own battles," Gary told him.

Jim's image appeared, leaning against the console beside him. "Like I had any choice? That Chekov's a smart kid, listen to him and the rest of the crew," Jim told him.

"How's T'Kal?" Gary asked, only the fifteenth person to ask him in the last fifteen minutes.

"She's been hooked up to the computers to the integrity field and engineering. She's satisfied that she's being useful. She is a Vulcan after all," Jim responded.

Gary looked fondly at his brother. He and Jim were six years old when their parents commissioned a hologram of what Jim would look like as an adult. She showed them, Jim included, that weekend. Jim hadn't been quite sure what to make of it. Sam grinned, "You would have been a good looking man, Jimmy!"

"And an awkward teen," George quipped. "I occasionally wonder if we did right by you Jimmy. Letting you live…" his voice trailed off as he couldn't continue. He truly couldn't imagine his family without any of them.

"Dad, you said I fought to stay alive the entire trip back to Earth. If I was not meant to be here, alive, I would have died then," Jim told him quietly. "Just trust that I'm here to make a difference."

" _Jim Kirk was my friend," Elderly Spock had told him. "You were his friend," Spock refused to tell him what happened to his counterpart. "I do not know what happened to put him in the position he's in now, but take it from me. He will make a difference. He just needs help."_

"Jim, are you considering me for your brawn?" he asked.

"I am," Jim responded. "I have to be honest. I'm looking more at Leonard than you."

"Bones, huh? Okay, I can live with that. Have you talked to Mom or Dad since we left orbit?" Gary asked.

"No, been busy keeping the ship from flying apart," Jim replied. "Hey, on a vessel like this, I'm allowed two brawns."

"Hey! That's true! Bones can be your primary and I can be your secondary brawn. Do you ever wish you had a 'normal' body?" he asked suddenly.

"I'd be lying if I said no," Jim said softly. "There are some robotics companies making remarkable breakthroughs with humanoid bodies. It might happen that I can go down for shore leave, someday." Jim shrugged. "Maybe I'll even be able to hug my family," he said with a sigh.

"Such simple goals for a human," a voice sounded behind Gary.

"Ambassador," Jim responded. Gary simply nodded.

"I need to get back to the bridge. Ambassador, Jim," Gary said before slipping away.

 _Sarek_

Sarek studied the simulcram of an adult, human man. He was tall, blonde, blue eyed, would be considered good-looking by most of the female population and many of the male population of the ship, yet, otherworldly. Sarek had never met a shellperson before. "I came to greet you, Jim, as is only polite," Sarek said.

"You are nothing if not polite, Ambassador. You're also uncomfortable around me," Jim responded.

"You are correct, Jim. I have never encountered one of your kind before," Sarek responded taking a seat. "You are rare."

"Yes, birth defects are uncommon, now," Jim responded.

Sarek continued to look at the human. "What made you choose Starfleet?" Sarek asked abruptly.

"I don't know," Jim answered, almost wistfully. "I was drawn to it somehow. Like I was somehow meant to do something important. I apologize for being unable to save your wife, Ambassador."

"Sarek, please Jim, this is your home and you should call no one formally in it. What do you make of the survivors?" Sarek asked.

"Whether or not they will admit to it, Sarek, they are all deeply affected by the destruction of Vulcan. Even T'Kal has spoken of it," Jim said.

"T'Kal is here?" Sarek asked.

"Yes, her shell is currently hooked up in Sickbay. Keeps her occupied. If you want my opinion, Sarek, keep an eye on your people. Contact the outlying colonies and maybe even the Romulan Empire for help. They can save your race as there are many more off Vulcan than were on," Jim pointed out before vanishing.

Sarek sat and pondered Jim's words. Contacting Romulus had never even entered his mind. They were Vulcan's closest relatives and were a logical choice for help. Cadet Mitchell had even told him that the Romulan Authorities had nothing to do with what was going on. The technology was beyond them. Nothing could have prepared him for losing Amanda this early, but he would fight to the end to save the Vulcan species. He passed a young, green skinned, red haired woman who was being taunted by other cadets.

 _Gaila_

Jim had rescued Gaila as much as he'd rescued many others, including Dr. Geoffrey M'benga, from certain death. Her flight to this part of the Enterprise came from a run-in with another Orion woman whose jet-black hair marked her as an upper-class dancer. She sighed as she walked into Engineering. She sighed as she ran her fingers lovingly over the control panels. She'd been training as an Engineer before being thrust into the skies above Vulcan fighting for her life. "Will I become what I dream?" she asked whimsically.

"An Engineer?" a voice asked.

Gaila looked around, "Who…where are you?"

An image came into view, "I am Jim. I am the Enterprise's brain. You are Gaila."

"Wow, never met one of you before," Gaila said. "Although, I'm not the only person to have said this."

"You're right, Gaila. What can I do for you?" Jim asked.

"Talk to me?" she asked plaintively. "No one ever just wants to talk to me. You're still human, but you' won't be affected by…me."

Jim understood, pheromones and all. "Alright, I'm willing to talk. What do you want to talk about?" Jim asked.

"Horses," Gaila announced. It was going to be an interesting talk, Jim could tell that already as he checked the rest of the ship for something he could take care of.

 **Orion Slave Girls originally were black haired, not red haired. The episode "Menagerie" reminded me of that. Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

by Starsinger

 **Jim did something extraordinary to help ensure the survival of the Vulcan species. Don't own them.**

 _Bones_

"Dr. McCoy," Jim said, appearing next to him during a lull in the action. They had yet to reach Saturn. "You're presence is requested in Cargo Bays 5 and 7."

"What? Why?" Bones asked, startled.

"I…well…you'll see," Jim told him as he vanished.

"I'm just gonna have to get used to that," Bones muttered as he grabbed his kit, Geoff, and several nurses and headed for the cargo bays in question. Jim's wording suggested that he didn't need to hurry and they didn't. All were very curious as to who or what they would find there. The doors opened with a swoosh and McCoy's mouth dropped open. It was filled, not with cargo, but with Vulcans, mostly children. A few adults could be seen here and there, most holding infants or small children.

A young woman hurried over to him. "Dr. McCoy?" she asked. He nodded his head.

"T'Pring?" Geoff asked.

"Geoff," she said, nodding her head. "Please, this way," she said hurrying back through the crowd.

On the floor in the back a young woman was obviously in labor. Geoff set about examining the woman as Bones turned to T'Pring. "How did you get here?" Bones asked.

"We were transported. One minute I was teaching my pupils and the next we were all here. What has happened?" T'Pring asked.

"You're aboard the USS Enterprise," Bones answered. "Vulcan was destroyed. These weren't all _your_ students, were they?"

"No, this looks like the population of not only my school but several others. It looks like someone was determined to keep Vulcan alive," T'Pring said.

"Jim," Bones replied.

"Who's Jim?" T'Pring asked.

Jim appeared beside Bones, "I am." T'Pring took a small step backward as several children ran at the sudden appearance of the hologram. "I apologize, Madam, but I needed to hurry. I didn't have time to stop and discuss this with your superiors."

"As we would all be dead now if you had," T'Pring responded, "I for one am grateful." They all turned as the piercing cry of a newborn split the air.

"It's a girl," Geoff told them holding a blanket wrapped bundle. Bones watched as he and one of the nurses maneuvered the new mother onto a gurney and headed out the door.

"Anyone hurt?" Bones asked.

"Not here, but you're presence is needed in Cargo Bay 7," Jim told him. T'Pring went with them as they headed next door. "I grabbed some people from Mount Seleya before I was done. Several of them are elderly and need to be checked out."

Bones shook his head, "That's more Geoff's field than mine, but I'll look at them." The population of the Bay 7 was similar to that of 5. In the front was a small contingent of formally dressed people, including one in a divan, and two who looked just plain flummoxed.

"I am afraid you interrupted and bonding ceremony, Jim," T'Pring told him.

"They're alive," Jim muttered. The woman in the divan looked at T'Pring and raised an eyebrow. The younger woman hurried over and appeared to be having a conversation in Vulcan. Soon, though, the delegation Spock had rescued arrived at the doors and looked around.

Sarek, standing in front, looked at the older woman and nodded as she motioned him over. "Hello, Mother," they heard him say to her. The other Vulcans circulated around the room, talking to the survivors and giving reassurances. Sarek walked back toward Bones and Jim. "Mother would like to speak to you," he told them.

"Mother?" Bones asked.

"Yes, T'Pau, my mother, and leader of those who reside on Mount Seleya," Sarek responded.

Jim and Bones followed and were confronted by this woman. She was tiny, barely above five feet. She also had presence. Her jet black hair set off piercing black eyes that seemed to bore right through Bones. "Thou art responsible for our rescue?" she asked.

"Yes," Jim responded.

T'Pau waved him in front of her. She again studied him while keeping her hands in her lap. "Art thou real?" she asked.

"I am real," Jim responded. "I am like T'Kal."

T'Pau nodded, satisfied. "We are in thy debt, Jim. Thou art always welcome among us." Bones watched as two of her attendants were gently lead from the room.

"Rest, Madam," Jim told her. "We are doing all that we can." As he spoke the ship rocked. Jim became silent. "Okay, Gary and Spock are back and have managed to create a black hole," Jim told them. "Don't worry, I'm going." Jim vanished as Bones chuckled.

Later in Sickbay Jim and Bones talked, "Three weeks to get home? Those kids, I don't care if they're Vulcan or not, are going to go stir crazy."

"Several ships will be intercepting us and off-loading some of our passengers. Our resources would be stretched too thin if we kept them anyway. Bones," Jim said, catching his attention. "I'd like you as my primary brawn."

"Me? What about Gary?" Bones asked, elated.

"I think he's going to be occupied after we get back to Earth. You're older, steadier, I need that," Jim told him. Bones rewarded him with a smile.

 _Spock Prime_

The USS Enterprise NCC-LJ-1701 sat in spacedock undergoing repairs and a refit of warp cores while they were at it. She was nearly empty. Jim watched as reports came in regarding surviving Starfleet personnel and other goings on in and around San Francisco. He knew someone was on board, but waited for him to make the first move. The elderly Vulcan entered Engineering and looked around. "I was told I could find you here, old friend," he announced.

Jim appeared beside him. "Who are you?" Jim asked.

"You've read Cadet Mitchell's report, Jim. You know who I am," Spock told him.

"How did you know me?" Jim asked.

"You were my captain aboard this same vessel for many years," Spock told him.

Jim appeared to swallow this information as he looked at the deck. "I was in truth like this?" Jim asked.

"Yes, you were. You were a strong, capable leader who always tried to take care of his people and do what was right. Jim, I do not know what caused you to be like this, but I can't help but think you're being here is no coincidence," Spock told him. "This ship would not have been the same without you." Then the elderly Vulcan turned and walked out of Engineering and back into history.

 **There's a year between the end of Star Trek 2009, and Into Darkness. If I seemed to have rushed this, it's because we know the basic story behind this run up. I'm going to be spending some time delving into the relationships and bonds formed on the Enterprise. McCoy is still going to be worried about Jim, even though he doesn't need sleep, and Gary who's more likely to get into trouble. Pavel is going to be adorable. Jim is going to get into a 3-d chess match with both Spock and Chris. Admiral Marcus will rear his ugly head, and if you think he didn't like Jim in Into Darkness, he's going be even less favorably inclined towards him as a shellperson. Also, I think I'll throw Porthos in just for fun. One other minor note. I learned that I am a College Graduate, having graduated, without my knowledge, last year with an Associate of Arts degree. Surprising? Yeah, I was going for and Associate of Science. Go figure! Please Read and Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

by Starsinger

 **We start the adventurous year that happens between 2009 and ID. Also, Jim meets Jo. Don't own them.**

 **To answer a question, if I understand how this works correctly, feel free to contradict me fans of Ms McCaffrey's universe if you feel differently, this is how it works. Jim's brain and nerves are connected to the "shell" in such a way as to control the shell. It's how the "shellperson" controls the "shell". When a shellperson becomes part of a brainship all the sensors on the shell are turned off for a few hours where they can feel, hear, and see nothing, they are also anesthetized so the experience is simply unnerving. The ship's main sensors are attached to the shell. When they wake up the ship is like a second skin. While they instantly know when a part of the ship has been damaged they're not so intertwined with the ship that it causes pain to the shellperson. What happens will very traumatic for Jim, Bones, Gary and Spock, but Admiral Marcus will wish he never messed with the Enterprise and her very protective crew.**

T'Kal's brawn had been lost aboard the USS Farragut. One of hundreds who died above Vulcan, no one could leave T'Kal to return to the Institute alone. Jim sincerely wished he could accompany her as well. Spock, Gary, Gail, and McCoy made sure she made it to the transporter room and escorted her down to the Institute. Later they took part in the memorial to the dead on and above Vulcan. When finished, it would take its place next to the memorial to the USS Kelvin and her brain, Brian. In a strange twist of fate, Jim's father, George, had been Brian's brawn. While George had not partnered with a brain again, he'd never forgotten the man who'd saved his and his family's lives.

Bones exited the Institute with a sigh, tucking his red hat under his arm. Not really caring that he was supposed to be wearing it. "Daddy!" he heard. His head snapped up at the word, hoping, but not really believing it was directed at him. He discovered it was as a small bundle of energy impacted with his legs and wouldn't let go. He looked up to find his mother standing there in front of him with a smile.

Bones reached down and picked Jo up and held onto her tight. Everything seemed to be alright with the world. He reached over and hugged his mother. "What do I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

"Jonathan invited us. We're here to see your installation as a brawn. I am so proud! A Starfleet Brawn as well as Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise. I've been making the ladies green with envy down in Atlanta!" Eleanor told him.

Bones chuckled as a thought struck him. "Would you like to meet him, Mom? Jim, I mean?"

"Could I?" Jo asked.

"We wouldn't be imposing, would we?" Eleanor asked.

"Well, let me ask," Bones told them. He opened his communicator. "Hey, Jim, I have some friends who'd like to meet you. Would you mind locking onto us and beaming us up? We'll meet you in Engineering," Bones told him.

"Sure Bones, stand by for beam up," Jim responded. Bones felt the familiar tingling sensation as they dematerialized.

They rematerialized on the pad Jo looked around and she pushed to be put down. Bones complied as he took her hand. Eleanor took her other hand. "Jo, remember what I told you I would be doing in Starfleet?" he asked.

"You said you'd help people get better, and you might be the mobile partner of a shellperson. The shellperson runs the ship," she said. "They were born so ill that they had to be put in a shell to live."

"That pretty much sums up what happened to Jim. We're going to meet him where he lives," Bones told her. They walked into Engineering and Bones directed them to the column that held Jim's shell. Bones knelt down beside her and pointed at the column. "Wave hi to Uncle Jim. He's in that column right there."

"But what does he look like?" Jo asked waving hesitantly at the column.

Jim materialized beside her. "If you were able to look in there, I'd look like a tiny baby, barely a month old, Jo," Jim told her. Jo let out a squeak as she stared up at him. "This, this is what I look like as a grown-up," he continued.

Jo stuck her hand out and it went into the hologram. "You're not real," she said.

"Oh, I'm real, Jo. As real as you and your Nana and Daddy are. It's easier for you to accept me like this," Jim told her.

"Can I call you Uncle Jim?" she asked.

"I'd like that, Jo," Jim told her. He stood and watched as Bones showed her around Engineering.

"It must be very lonely," Eleanor told him.

"I'm not going to lie, it is," Jim told her. "My family always tried to love me."

"A little difficult with a capsule of Titanium surrounding you," Eleanor told him. "Your family must be very special."

"The best," Jim told her. "not that I really have anything to compare it to.

"You single-handedly saved three thousand children who would have died on Vulcan, Jim. You are a hero," Eleanor told him.

"I did what needed to be done," Jim told her.

"Your mother must be proud," she told him. "Do what you can to protect my son, please."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gary embraced his family one las time. George smiled as he looked at his son, "You and Jim have made us proud, son. Even if you aren't his brawn."

"He made the right choice," Gary told him. "I'm too close to him, and I'm the Captain!"

Sam hit him in the arm, "Yeah, Captain Gary! " Gary winced and made a show of holding the affected area.

Winona kissed Gary's cheek. "Good luck, son."

Gary gave a final wave as he boarded the shuttle back to his ship. His ship. Oh, who was he kidding? Jim was the real captain of the ship. Gary just gave orders and set the course. He hoped nothing terrible happened while they were out. He'd had enough of terrible things happening lately. He beamed up and found Spock playing Chess with Jim in the recreation room. He chuckled as the two were very intent on the game. Three dimensional chess was right up Jim's alley and Spock was occupied. Maybe the Enterprise could sneak out of orbit without Spock noticing.

The bridge was quiet as Gary sat in center seat. "Nobody's requested to leave, have they?" he asked.

"No, Gary, Spock's still here," Jim responded as the turbolift doors opened and Spock exited, taking his place at the science station.

"Okay, let's see what she's got," Jim said.

"Aye, let's see what she's got," Scotty declared over the comm. "Get down from there!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 BE**

by Starsinger

 **Enterprise's first mission and our first meeting Admiral Marcus. Don't own them.**

"Gary," Jim's voice sounded in the mess area.

"Yes, Jim," Gary responded. Jim was the only one with whom he could speak without hitting a wall comm.

"Signal incoming from Starfleet. It's Admiral Marcus," Jim told him.

"I'll take it in my office," Gary told him. Gary muttered at Bones, "Can't even finish breakfast." Bones grinned as Gary walked out of the room, bowl of Fruit Loops in his hand, cup of OJ in the other.

Bones shook his head, "Glad I'm not having that conversation." The others nodded their heads in agreement. Any conversation with any Starfleet Admiral wasn't enviable.

Gary sat down, straightened his tunic, and opened up the connection. "Admiral Marcus, how can I help you?" he asked.

"You're being diverted to Starbase 5. You are to pick up several officials for transportation to Betazed for a conference," Marcus told him. "The Federation President, Azmaiad, and Admiral Pike are among your guests," Marcus told him.

"Understood," Gary responded. "Is there anything else?"

"How is Jim working out?" Marcus asked.

"Jim and the crew work well together, and he's able to spot trouble before it becomes an issue," Gary responded. "Are you going to be with them?"

"Yes, I'm currently at Starbase 5. I'll see you when you get here," Marcus told him.

The transmission ended and Gary hit his desk comm. "Mitchell to Bridge. We have orders from Starfleet. We are to go to Starbase 5 to pick people up," he told them. "I'm on way up."

"Understood, Captain," Spock's crisp voice answered. "At Warp 5 we should reach Starbase 5 in six hours."

"Yes, Spock, that's fine," Gary told him. "Jim, you know who's coming."

"Yes, Gary, I do," Jim responded. "I've sent in servos to air out the VIP rooms. I've made sure that everything's in easy reach for Chris."

"It must be nice to be on a first name basis with everyone," Gary muttered.

Scotty, Uhura, Spock, Chekov, and Sulu were all present as Gary nervously fiddled with his collar as the transporter chief waited for his command. "Alright," Gary nodded. The transporter energized as five people appeared on the pad. Gary suddenly noticed that Jim was conspicuously absent as the Chief Petty Officer whistled everyone to attention.

Federation President Azmaiad stepped off the pad and smiled. A tall humanoid from Alpha Centauri, he wore a simple pinstripe suit with an over coat hanging off his shoulders. His long, flowing black locks and sweeping mustache fell easily into place. "Captain Mitchell, so glad to meet you," he announced. He gestured to two young women behind him. "My wife, Elissa, and my assistant Laidine," he said. Both women nervously responded to the introductions. Gary introduced his command crew and instructed a crewman to escort the President to their quarters.

"Where's Jim?" Marcus asked heartily.

"I don't know. Sometimes he's too occupied to activate his holographic circuits," Gary responded. Jim remained oddly silent. "Admirals, we've given you the rooms on Deck 10 next to each other," Gary told them escorting them to their own quarters. "If you need anything, just ask," Gary told him. He watched at Chris' painfully stiff gait, but relaxed manner. Marcus remained stiff and formal. It was almost as if he wanted to belong but chose to be aloof. Everything seemed off about the man. Gary showed Marcus his quarters first before showing Pike his. "How are you doing, Chris?" Gary asked as the door slid silently shut before he started.

"Jim?" Chris called. "You can't hide from Marcus forever."

Jim came into view. "I can't help it, Chris. I don't trust him. He doesn't like me," Jim told him.

"What makes you say that?" Chris asked sitting at the table, Gary joined him.

"He doesn't. Sally, the Brain who runs Starfleet and Federation HQ, has said that machines will always trump humans. He thinks that those of us from the Institute should have died," Jim mumbled.

"Marcus knows that he can't take the human element out of the equation completely, Jim," Chris reassured him. He didn't sound very reassuring. "How about a game of Yahtzee?" he asked. Yahtzee was one of Jim's favorite games.

"You're on!" Jim replied as Gary reached into the cupboard of the room. Yahtzee was a favorite and this was Chris' quarters, unofficially. This was going to be an interesting trip.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

by Starsinger

 **Jim and Admiral Marcus meet. Don't own them.**

"Jim," Gary said with a sigh. "Marcus wants a reception, and he wants you to be there, physically so to speak."

Jim's sigh was audible, and loud, almost as if the ship's brain had turned up the volume, "Do I have to?"

"No one can obviously make you, Jim. Bones will be there," Gary told him buttoning up his dress jacket. "At least you'll never have to wear one of these."

Jim laughed, "But I can make it appear that I am wearing one. Does he understand that I'm not going to call him Admiral?"

"I hope so," Gary muttered. He walked out into the corridor. The good thing about being on the ship was that he could forgo the hat in dress uniform. Bones fell in step with him on the way to the turbolift. They also picked up Sulu and Chekov. "Deck 8," Gary said. "Glad you're going to be there, Bones. It'll give Jim a little more impetus to be there."

"Not leave his brawn stranded?" Bones asked. Gary nodded as they stepped out onto Deck 8 and headed to the Rec Room where the reception was being held. Spock, Uhura, and Scotty were already present talking to the Federation President. Jim was putting in an appearance and was talking to Elissa. Admiral Marcus was talking to Scotty. Chris was watching Jim avoiding Marcus with some amusement, and not a little concern.

"How's he doing?" Gary asked Chris.

"Jim is charming and managing to fool everyone into thinking he's not a hologram. Well, until Daniel ran through him, anyway," Chris said laughing. Elissa's tiny Pekinese was making a general nuisance of himself and completely disregarding his mistress' commands. "Marcus hates small dogs," Chris said with a laugh.

"What does Jim think?" Bones asked with an echoing laugh.

"I like him!" Jim said wandering over. He was wearing the full dress uniform of a Starfleet Lieutenant. "Yes, Gary, I've talked to Alexander. He's not used to being called by his first name by a mere Lieutenant, but he can't object. Jon doesn't see anything wrong with it, and he outranks Alexander."

Laidine, resplendent in blue and not decorated with a dog walked over. She completely ignored Jim. "So, Captain Mitchell, can you introduce me to your companions?"

"Admiral Christopher Pike, Dr. Leonard McCoy, CMO and Ship's Brawn, and Lieutenant James Kirk, Ship's Brain," Gary said.

"Doctor, Admiral, it's a pleasure. CMO means you're the doctor, right?" Laidine asked.

"Yes, I'm also Jim's mobile partner," Bones responded. This woman was beginning to irritate him. Elissa soon proved why she was the President's wife.

"I've never met a ship with a brain before, Jim. Where exactly are you located?" she asked wandering over.

"In Engineering, I'm sure Scotty would be more than happy to show you where on the ship's tour," Jim responded.

"You're literally everywhere?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I'm aware of all ship's operations, 21/7," Jim said with a smile. Laidine's smile furrowed into a slight frown before clearing. Azmaiad joined them as well with Marcus at his elbow. "Azmaiad, Alexander, how are you finding the reception?"

"Your galley crew were well prepared," Azmaiad replied. "They found my favorite planetary food, steak!"

Chris laughed. "Let me guess, you're a meat and potatoes man!" he exclaimed.

"Got it in one," Azmaiad responded. "Seriously, Jim, why can't we attract more brains into Starfleet?" he asked. Marcus went rigid.

"We're not computers, Mr. President, we can't be programmed and then stuck into a Starship. I had years of intensive training both from the Academy and the Institute once I decided this was what I wanted to do. My family was very supportive, not that they had much of a choice. My Dad was a Brawn," Jim said.

"Really? How ironic," Azmaiad said. "Never sell yourself short, Jim," he told Jim. Proving why he was the President as well. He held his arm out to Elissa and escorted them all into the dining room. Jim disappeared. He would join them later. "So Admiral Marcus, how's the fleet?"

"Oh, exploring, patrolling, guarding, the usual," Marcus said. "The Romulans have been quiet since the Nero incident."

"Well, as he was a 'future' Romulan and had nothing to do with the present day Romulan Empire, I'm not entirely surprised," Gary said. "Do you think someone will cause trouble?"

"The Klingons are always trying to start a war. I'm afraid it will come, one day," Marcus said.

"That's odd," Jim whispered into the link on Bones' ear. "The Klingons haven't so much as crossed into the Neutral Zone in the past twenty years. What is Marcus up to?"

Bones looked up at the Admiral, thinking about what Jim had just said. Jim had a keen mind and one did not take Jim's observations lightly. "Are any more ships being built?" Bones asked curiously.

"We have three science ships, four exploratory vessel, and two heavy cruisers currently in various stages of construction at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards. The heavy cruisers are nearing completion," Marcus told him.

"Warships in time of peace?" Azmaiad queried. "I would think that the science and exploration vessels would take priority."

"The Enterprise is well-equipped to defend herself, sorry Jim, as well as explore. We even have a five-year mission that will be assigned to some lucky ship's captain by the end of the year," Marcus said.

Gary didn't hear the rest of what Marcus said. He just knew that he **wanted** that mission.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

by Starsinger

 **Two medical emergencies detour the Enterprise on their way back to Earth and it brings Jim back to what he is. It also creates more tension with Marcus. Don't own them.**

Dinner wound down and people filed out to another room for after dinner drinks and talking, mostly about politics. When Jim didn't appear for the initial conversations, Gary became concerned. McCoy looked distracted, and not by anyone talking to him. His hand was pressed against the ear that held the device that connected him to Jim. Gary watched him sigh and shake his head. Gary approached him. "Where's Jim?"

"He'll be here in a moment. Two distress calls have come in and he and Sulu are coordinating efforts to get to both of them as fast as possible," Bones told him tersely.

"Newborns?" Gary asked.

"Yeah," Bones responded. "One of them was pulled directly from the womb, birth would have killed her. Apparently, all EEG signs point to a normal, healthy brain. The other has a heart deformation that it would cause death in months. To complicate it, the first one is a Betazoid. They're doctors will be accompanying her to help in the transition. Fortunately, physiologically, Betazoids have little difference with that of humans. It's the brain that's different."

"How will they handle a telepath?" Chris asked.

Bones shrugged. "No idea. I'm certain that's one of the reasons their doctors are accompanying her. The other is a little boy on Cardid IV, human. As long as he survives the surgery, he should do fine," Bones muttered.

Jim finally arrived. "Ladies and Gentlebeings, I'm sorry to be the bearer of unfortunate news, but we're making detours. There are medical emergencies on both Betazed and Cardid IV, and we've been requested to stop by as the nearest and fastest ship in the vicinity. Both emergencies involve fragile newborns, so Dr. McCoy will be fully occupied," he announced.

"How much longer will it take to make these detours?" Azmaiad asked.

"Two days," Jim told him. After the announcement, Jim mingled with his guests. "We'll be reaching Betazed tomorrow around 0200 hours, Bones. You might want to make it a quick night."

"Geoff is on duty at that time, he should be able to handle it," Bones said before yawning. "Okay, I can take a hint, _Mother_." Jim rolled his eyes as Chris and Scotty laughed at Bones' sarcasm. Bones departed and others trickled out after him. Some simply having Alpha shift duties, others needing a good night's sleep.

Chris turned around and looked at Jim before heading out. "I'm as proud of you and Gary and the rest as if you were my own children," he told Jim.

"How is Stephen?" Jim queried after the Admiral's only child.

"About to graduate from Law School," Chris admitted with a gleam in his eye. "Good night, Jim."

When Bones finally straggled into Sickbay the next day, the baby's condition was far more severe than he had been lead to believe. She had been placed into an artificial womb to keep her stable. What she suffered from was Osteoporosis Imperfecta, and while still uncommon, it occurred more often in humanoids than any other types. This baby, named Lily, had been given to the Institute by parents who wanted what was best for their child. Unfortunately, if she had been delivered naturally, every bone in her body would have been broken by the contractions of the womb. Bones sighed, this Lily's only chance at life was as a shellperson.

The second child, named Charlie, would have an operation here on the ship to correct the heart defect as much as was possible. If he survived both surgeries, he would do fine. Not all babies survived the surgery that transitioned them into the shellperson program, but they did try. EEG readings, EKG readings, and scans told him nothing of these children, and wouldn't until they came on board. He could see Lily's movements on the monitor and tallied up the number bones already broken. Were they doing either child service? He wondered. Then he remembered, that was never his choice to make.

Charlie came on a life-support bed, taking care of his needs and monitoring his vitals. Bones and Geoff immediately scrubbed up and went into surgery. They took as much care of this tiny infant who already had a light fuzz of brown hair covering his scalp. He lay so still and quiet before and after surgery that it was unnerving for both men. The tiny boy waved one feeble hand in seeming protest after it was all said and done. Jim worked tirelessly to monitor their vital signs so if anything went wrong they could be instantly notified. Both infants were in a curtained off section of Sickbay. One day, Chris came in and approached the incubators and sighed.

"What is it, Chris," Jim asked.

"Stephen had an older brother, Caleb," Chris told him. "He was born very early, and had one of those rare, genetic disorders which there is no cure. He was three months old when he died. His mind, unfortunately, was such that he didn't qualify for the Institute."

"I'm sorry, Chris," Jim told him.

Chris placed a hand on Charlie's bed, and the child responded to it, kicking just a little. "These lives are so fragile once they come into the world, and we try so hard to do right by them. Is it fair?" Chris asked.

"I, for one, am glad the program exists," Jim said with a laugh. Chris liked the laugh. Jim's was rich and deep, just the kind one could listen to all day.

"Well, we'll be getting to Earth soon," Chris said.

"In 2.57 hours," Spock responded entering the room. He too had been curious about the babies. "They appear to be strong."

"Fighters," Jim said. "We're all fighters. That's what Mom always said. None of us would have survived this long if we weren't. You too, Spock, how many times did you stand up for yourself in school?"

Spock let out an all too audible sigh, "Too many, Jim."

"Uh, Nyota's looking for you, Spock. She just asked me where she could find you," Jim told him. Spock nodded his thanks before leaving Chris and Jim to consider what the future would bring.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

by Starsinger

 **I forgot something, I'm sorry. Don't own them.**

A distinct noise came from the base of Jim's column. No one currently occupied the area of Engineering that housed Jim's shell, and he wasn't sure what was going on. He turned his attention to the intruder and heard a distinctive barking noise.

Jim was confused, Daniel had left with the President and his entourage earlier that day. Jim even went back and checked the transport logs only discover that one of the transporters had activated, all by itself, half an hour ago. Finally, Jim shimmered into existence in front of a small Beagle with very peculiar ears. He was even wagging his tail at the holographic image. "Ruff?" he seemed to ask.

"Uh, Scotty, Gary, can you join me in Engineering? And I mean that literally," Jim commed them. He heard the grumbling along the ship's circuits. Jim dropped to one knee as the little animal sat. "I wish I could touch you, boy," he told the animal. The ship was currently heading out of the solar system after dropping off their passengers, both precious and pretentious, on Earth. Word had come through an hour earlier that both Charlie and Lily had survived their operations and were safely at home in their shells.

"Jim, just because you don't require sleep doesn't mean the rest of us don't," Gary grumbled coming into Sickbay wearing his pajamas. Scotty walked in moments later with similar sentiments.

"We have a visitor," Jim told them.

"A dog?" Gary asked blearily.

"Porthos!" Scotty announced. The pooch ran over to the suddenly crouching engineer and started licking his face. "How di' ye get here?"

"Porthos?" both Jim and Gary asked simultaneously.

"Admiral Archer's dog! The one tha' got me sent to Delta Vega!" Scotty announced. "He's back!"

"Uhm, Scotty, there's a puddle on the floor," Gary told him. Scotty had the decency to look embarrassed. "Jim."

"I've contacted Jon and told him that we're turning around and why. We'll be back at Earth in about twenty minutes," Jim told them. "I'll meet him in the transporter room."

"What exactly did you tell him?" Gary asked.

"That something unexpected occurred, and that we're returning to hand that something over to him and him alone," Jim told him.

"I hope this doesn't give the old boy a heart attack," Gary muttered. "We'll be in the rec room."

"Ruff?" Porthos asked.

"Come on, boy, let's go wait for your Master," Gary told him. Porthos and Scotty both trotted after him.

Jonathan Archer appeared, unhappily, on the transporter pad where Jim met him. The transporter tech straightened to attention at his appearance. "Jim, I hope this is important. I'm not as young as I used to be."

"According to Mom you never were," Jim said with a laugh. Archer's mouth opened, then considered the woman who was Winona Kirk, and started laughing. Jim lead him up three decks and to the rec room.

Archer came to an abrupt halt as he beheld the animal in Scotty's lap. The Beagle scrambled out of the Engineer's lap and hurried over to his master. He sat up with his front legs in the air. Archer dropped to his knees, ignoring the creaking joints and wrapped his arms around his old friend. "How?" he finally asked.

"There was an unexpected activation of the transporter earlier tonight, and then I heard him barking at my column," Jim told him. "Scotty confirmed his identity, so we turned around and brought him back."

"Thank you, all of you, so much," Archer told them. He had one parting shot just before he beamed back to Earth, "Stay away from my dog, Mr. Scott!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

by Starsinger

 **Alright, every female reading this raise the index finger of your right hand, start waving at the nearest male, and state very loudly "HARCOURT FENTON MUDD!"** **Don't own them.**

"Gary," Jim interrupted a boring routine patrol during which Gary was trying to read a novel. "We're receiving a distress call from the vessel 'Stella'."

"Stella?" Gary asked, stifling a yawn. "I'm not familiar with the name."

Jim quickly routed the information and the distress call to Sulu, Spock and Uhura respectively. "The 'Stella' is a private vessel," Spock reported. Five life-forms aboard, all human."

"At warp 5 it will take ten minutes to reach them, Captain," Sulu told him. "Life support is failing."

"Transporter room, lock onto the life signs on that ship and beam them aboard. Mr. Spock, lock on tractor beam and pull it into the shuttle bay," Jim told him. Uhura, you're with me, in case we need an interpreter," Gary told her.

They arrived in the transporter room to be greeted by an interesting sight. A man, wearing flamboyant clothing, lots of jewelry, and oozing charm. He was also fat, balding, and had the most interesting facial hair he had seen all week. Three of the four women with him were skimpily clad and very beautiful. They looked wolves set among sheep as they immediately began to preen in front of the three men in the room. The fourth was a Starfleet officer wearing Lieutenant's stripes, Science blue, and whose blonde haired and blue eyed demeanor caused her to outshine the other three despite the scornful glance she directed at the other three women.

The man stepped off the platform and walked to Gary. "Captain! So much for saving us! I am Captain Leo Francis, Walsh, Captain of the fine vessel Stella. These are my companions, Eve McHuron, Ruth Bonaventure, and Magda Kovaks. We're on our way to Ophiuchus III. My companions are destined to be fine brides for the lonely men living there." The fourth woman cleared her throat, "Oh, this is Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. I'm doing her a favor by transporting her to Starbase 9."

"Where I was to wait for the arrival of the USS Enterprise," Dehner told him. "I'm your ship's psychiatrist."

"Jim? Psychiatrist?" Gary asked perplexed.

"Jon had a hand in her appointment to the Enterprise, Gary. She's here to keep an eye on ship's morale," Jim responded.

"Who's talking to us?" Francis asked.

Jim shimmered into existence, "I'm James, ship's brain."

One of the girls reached out a hand and passed into the image, "You're not real."

"You'll never meet me in person, Madam, I'm wired into the ship," he told her.

"A shellperson! How wonderful!" Walsh exclaimed.

"Lieutenant, will you escort our guests to their quarters?" Jim asked one of the other men. The man snapped out of his daze and saluted before leading the others out of the room. He turned to Dehner. "That's not his real name," Jim said to her.

"No, it's not. I haven't been able to get it out of any of them. Something's wrong about those women," Dehner muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been two hours since they picked up the passengers of the Stella. It was quiet, even Walsh and his ladies were behaving themselves. Dr. Dehner had been shown her quarters and was settling in. The only anomaly had been when one of the ladies had walked by one of McCoy's scanners and it had gone off. McCoy was still trying to figure that one out.

The appeal of the women was undeniable. They were beautiful. Walsh knew it and tried to capitalize on it by appealing to the men of the crew. None were immune, and Jim had remarked that it reminded him of the effect that the Orion women had on men. This gave Jim an idea. Gaila was still a member of the crew.

Gaila happened to brush by Eve on her way to Engineering early that morning. Gaila stared at her thoughtfully before heading to Sickbay instead. "Look, Doc, I'm not going to swear to it. But I've run into cases that reminded me of that girl," she told him.

"Like what?" Bones asked.

"Ever heard of the Venus Pill? It's technically illegal, but gives women the illusion of beauty and confidence they wouldn't normally have. I'm pretty sure if you stopped giving them the pill, they'd fall apart, and their effect on men would come to a halt," Gaila told him.

Bones stared at him as Jim chimed in. "Bones, I've finally identified Walsh. His real name is Harcourt Fenton Mudd, aka Harry Mudd. He's a black market privateer."

"A pirate?" Gaila asked. "He's no Han Solo," she snorted.

Harry and his friends were escorted to the brig while their rooms were searched. "Captain!" he told Gary. "I must protest! Why this treatment?"

"Because human trafficking is illegal, Mudd," Gary told him.

"Human trafficking? What are you talking about?" Mudd asked desperately. He never even noticed that they called him by his real name.

"We called the Governor of Ophiuchus III, they've never even heard of you or your cargo," Gary told him. Mudd went white.

"Harry? What's he talking about?" Eve asked him.

"Nothing, he's mistaken," Mudd told him.

"In fact, there's a Ferengi vessel waiting at the coordinates you gave us. What are they expecting, Mudd? Dabo Girls?" Gary asked.

"Captain," Spock said entering the room. "We found these in their quarters. They are Venus pills. They are illegal in Federation space."

Gary surveyed the people in the room. "Okay, Mudd, you're under arrest. Ladies, I'm giving you a choice. You don't have to go meet the Ferengi. You don't have to go find rich, powerful husbands. We will still drop you off at Starbase 9 where you can make your own way. Starfleet has been apprised of your situation."

"Captain?" Mudd pleaded.

"Captain, I suggest you get a very good lawyer," Gary told him before leaving the brig. And that was how they acquired the vessel that would eventually take them into Klingon Space. Harcourt Fenton Mudd.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

by Starsinger

 **On a layover at Starbase 6, Jim meets up with a legend in the Brainship service. Don't own them.**

"Well, Jim, you got really…big," Tia told him. The Enterprise and Hypatia Cade's courier service ship were currently on layover at Starbase 6. Tia and Alex were dropping off dispatches that couldn't be trusted to Starfleet communiques. Which was why one of the things she was dropping off was a diamond engagement ring for the Chief Medical Officer from her fiancée who was on an Archeological dig in the Sigmund Freud Sector. It was his way of proposing.

"Yeah, happens when you work for Starfleet," Jim said. The Enterprise dwarfed Tia's courier ship. "You're not built for more than running around and delivering messages, passengers, and exploration. I hear you're headed out to find the EsKays."

Hypatia's story was a sad one. She had been born a bright, cheerful, intelligent child to two doting parents. Her parents, Archeologists, brought her along on their digs. The planets where they excavated were mostly Mars type worlds with little atmosphere, and lots of sandstorms. She was responsible enough that they were comfortable with leaving her behind in the dome that comprised their shelter at the age of four. She was also learning Algebra and Latin at the age of six. She was even playing at being an Archeologist herself on her own "digs".

Then, one day on one of the EsKay digs that her parents were becoming famous for, she found a garbage dump. While what she brought back to the dome. This was important. Archeologists learned from garbage than anything else a civilization left behind. Unfortunately, while they were spending hours digging, she started losing feeling in her extremities. It started out as tingling in her toes. Then they went numb. Her fingers started tingling and soon they went numb too. By the time her parents were able to assess the situation, she'd lost feeling from mid-thigh down and mid-upper arm down, and it wasn't stopping.

A medical ship was immediately dispatched, but it still two weeks for them to arrive and transport them back to Earth. They had put her into hibernation in an attempt to keep the disease from spreading. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. In an effort to give her some sort of life they appealed to the Institute, and after having several strings pulled, the head of the Institute came and saw her. He immediately approved her for the shellperson program. At seven years old, Hypatia Cade became the oldest person to enter it. She had just graduated when Jim entered the program.

Tia's parents couldn't go back to the EsKays, and for once their employers acted like human beings instead of machines. They were now living on a mostly water world whose inhabitants once lived on the strings of islands dotting this world. They were excavating the civilization that once lived on the islands.* Recently, Tia and her brawn, Alex, had come across a map leading to the EsKays homeworld. Where, Tia hoped, they could solve the mystery of what happened to her.

"Yeah, after all this time. I can't believe it," Tia said with a sigh. "Hey, did you hear about my new body?"

"New body?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, I took over MotoProsthetics. You know, they make prosthetics? I had them make me an entire body!" Tia said excitedly.

"You did that instead of buying your way out of your contract?" Jim asked. Earning enough money to pay off the initial debt incurred by their schooling was a big dream by all Brainships.

"Well, yeah, I like my job, and really want to stay. Oh, I could pay it off now, but what fun would that be? Especially after this discovery! Oh, I know, I could simply write my own contract with the Insitute, but I don't want to."

Jim laughed, Tia was one of a kind. He wondered if he'd feel the same way. Those who entered Starfleet tended to earn a buyout faster than any other service. "Maybe I'll do the same thing when the time comes. Your investments sure paid off. It would be nice to be able to physically interact with the crew with something other than a hologram."

"Well, until then, my friend, Zen hugs," Tia told him. It was a familiar greeting that Tia had started with her Doctor who had helped save her life. Zen hugs were virtual hugs. "The hug I would give you if I was there and I could."

"Zen hugs my friend," Jim told her. "Say hi to Alex for me."

 _Starbase 6_

Alex sat next to Gary and McCoy. All three were technically Brawns but only two of them wore earpieces keeping apprised of their counterparts. "The body is perfect," Alex told them. "It's what she would have looked like had she been able to grow up."

Gary laughed, "Jim would love that. "I bet it cost a bit of money."

"Oh, she invested wisely and put all the profits in MotoProsthetics. She told them she wouldn't shake up the board as long as they built her a working body," Alex told them.

"How does it work?" Bones asked.

"There's a band on the forehead that receives electric signals. She has to shut the whole ship down to use the body, but they're working on that too," he told them. "She's hoping to join us on the EsKay dig."

"It's fortunate that you're ship is small enough to set down on the planet," Gary said. "Otherwise she'd kill everyone on the ship."

Alex and Bones shook their heads. Gary did have a way of putting things. Dehner and Uhura joined them. "It's nice to not be facing down pirates and Klingons," Dehner muttered.

Uhura laughed, "Mudd was something else, wasn't he? How's Tia?"

"She's good," Alex told her. "She's anxious to get started."

"I bet," Dehner told him. She looked at Gary, studying him.

"What?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing," she told him. "Nothing at all."

 **This is the Reader's Digest version of what happened in the story "The Ship Who Searched".**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

by Starsinger

 **Gaila is lonely, Jim is obliging. A stopover at New Vulcan brings unexpected visitors. Don't own them.**

Gaila sat down in her quarters. It had been a long day. She had started wearing pants instead of skirts, and Jim and Nyota had encouraged her to be free and independent. Most of the rest of the crew were understanding, but there were a few who needed to be forcefully reminded of her place on the ship. Hendorff had started self-defense classes and Nyota was his assistant. He and Gary were starting to get along. Hendorff hadn't tried to punch the Captain since he'd made Captain.

"Jim? Can you spare a few minutes?" she asked. She waited. Jim was in charge of a large vessel and wasn't always immediately available.

"Of course," Jim said a few minutes later.

"Can you appear, please?" Gaila asked. Jim was extremely respectful of others private spaces. He only used his hologram in private quarters when asked. Gaila smiled as he shimmered into existence. "How's the ship?" she asked.

"The Enterprise is running smoothly," Jim responded. "We're expected to move into orbit around New Vulcan in 2.6 hours."

"I still find it amazing how you managed to rescue so many people before New Vulcan collapsed. It was so very gallant," Gaila said.

"Gaila, if I was capable of such, I would be blushing," Jim told her. He watched as she pulled the tea kettle off the Bunsen burner she'd acquired from the Science Department and poured herself some tea. "Such civility," Jim said.

"Humans have their little rituals. I've taken to some of them," she replied sipping her tea. "Are you happy?" she asked suddenly.

"Happy?" Jim asked. "I suppose. I'm doing something I always wanted to do since I understood my limitations and potential. I enjoy the people most of the people on the ship, and this ship is a challenge."

"What will happen when we're in battle? It will happen eventually. This ship is built for battle as well as exploration," Gaila said.

"I don't know. No one knows how they will react until it happens. Your pats will be ready tomorrow at 0800," Jim told her. "I think I reacted well with what happened with Nero."

"Well? You reacted and did things most people couldn't. I'd be dead if you hadn't," Gaila told him. "If I were truly capable of the emotion, Jim, I'd say I love you. But, love is not an Orion concept, or emotion. Lust, yes, love no."

"Gaila, you are a special woman. You will be able to decide your own destiny, though. Something you would never have been able to do on Orion," Jim told her. "I am quite fond of you."

"Fond? I like that word. I'm fond of you too," Gaila told him. They talked into the wee hours of the morning. Gaila laughed, and Jim smiled. She finally yawned in his face. "I need to go to sleep. Fortunately, I'm on Beta shift today. Good night, Jim."

"Good night, Gaila," Jim responded as he faded away. Gaila blew him a kiss before he faded completely away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarek and Spock Prime transported onto the ship. Spock was just getting used Jim not being able to walk around and interact with everyone. Gary as the Enterprise's Captain was almost as much of a shock, and Dr. Elizabeth Dehner's entrance onto the stage only made things more intriguing. Gary's and Elizabeth's short and tragic lives in his universe had always weighed on Jim's mind. The worst being that Jim caused both of their deaths. Gary had been his best friend.

Both men approached Engineering. Jim was waiting. "You wanted to see me?" he asked. They glanced around. Jim laughed. "The crew knows what to do. I don't think there'll be an emergency in orbit around New Vulcan."

"No, it is quite unlikely," Sarek said. "Jim, the Vulcan High Council has decided to award you and the crew of the USS Enterprise the equivalent of the Medal of Honor. Your actions above Vulcan saved hundreds of lives. The children alone…" Sarek stopped, unable to continue.

Jim looked at both men. "Thank you. I know the past few months have been difficult. I wish I could come down and see the rebuilding myself," Jim told them. Both men looked at each other

"Do you know what this is?" Spock asked. Jim shook his head. "It's the 24th Century equivalent of a holo-emitter. It has enabled many things in my century, including a holographic doctor to walk on foreign worlds."

"How…how does it work?" Jim asked.

Spock attached it to a comm unit, "I'll activate it on-planet. You follow the signature, electronically, down, and you'll be there." Jim swallowed. He could never have dreamed to step foot on a new world. Spock nodded knowingly at his young friend as they turned back to the transporter room. Moments later Sarek himself activated the comm unit and Jim slipped his holographic self onto New Vulcan.

Jim looked around at the settlements rising out of the dusty world's soil. "I never dreamed this was even possible," he said.

"And technologically it's not, for another 80 years," Spock told him. "Keep this close."

"Oh, I will," Jim told him as they started down the slope. Jim looked around in wonder.

Gary came walking across the dusty landscape with a broad smile on his face. "You did it! You really did it! You're here, Jim! I wasn't sure they'd actually be able to pull it off when they told me about it!" Gary told him.

"It's him! It's him!" a little voice sounded nearby. "He's the one who saved us!" A little boy came running up, dragging a woman behind him. "You saved us!" he proclaimed.

Jim knelt down so that he was at eye level with the child. "Yes, I had help thought," he told the child.

"I am Tuvok," the little boy told him. "And I'll never forget you."

 **Cookies to anyone who remembers who Tuvok is. Virtual ones anyway.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

by Starsinger

 **Romance is in the air, not just between Spock and Uhura, and the Captain gets up the courage to ask someone out for New Year's. It shouldn't be a great mystery who it is if you've seen the original series. Don't own them.**

 **A big Thank You to Restfulsky5, blueartemis07, Azorahai, Bug, Ginnystar (Zen hugs!), Gracealma, and horselovr171 for all your kind words on the last chapter. You've probably figured out by now I'm horrible about responding individually to reviews. But all of you get those virtual chocolate chip cookies I made for being such wonderful support. Ginny, I'd give you a firelizard too if I had an egg to give you! Oh, Happy New Year!**

Bones walked into the rec room where the New Year would be rung in. Nurse Christine Chapel was on his arm. They were all in uniform, but it was just their normal uniforms, not the dress uniforms. The room was decorated festively with the new year hovering overhead having been hung from the ceiling. Jim swore he'd had nothing to do with it.

Bones turned to see Sulu and Chekov sitting in a corner, he could've sworn the two were making out. It was too dark to tell, really. Spock and Uhura soon followed talking animatedly about something language related or another. He spied Gary standing near the punch bowl talking with Scotty while Dehner was sitting by herself sipping the punch. Christine sighed, "I wish the Captain would do us all a favor and ask her out."

"Who?" Bones asked.

"Elizabeth, she told me herself that she's interested in him," Chris told him.

"Well, that's interesting," Bones told her. "Gary's never been the shy type around women before." Chris chuckled and the laughed as the doors opened once more. Jim and Gaila stepped through. "So, Jim did get a date," Bones said with a laugh.

"Yeah, but poor Scotty and Hendorff, neither one could find a date tonight," Chris said. "Okay, I feel sorrier for Scotty than Hendorff. That man's a menace, sometimes. Other times he can be a sweetheart." Bones filed that away for future reference as Hendorff entered soon after. Many people were filing in, chatting gaily as the anticipation built.

Gaila approached Bones and Chris, a big smile made her almost glowing. "Hey, Chris, Dr. McCoy," she said.

"Gaila," Bones said. "I see you came with Jim."

"Yeah, he's great. Doesn't hurt that he treats me a like a lady," Gaila told him. "Is it true that his body is that of a baby in that shell?"

"Yes, he was about two weeks old when he went into the shellperson program. They do a remarkable job at helping them 'grow up'." Bones turned to find two strange men who looked Vulcan but clearly weren't walking in talking to each other. "Romulans?" Bones asked.

"Yes," Spock said, "they are a trade delegation from the Empire." Strong and cunning as Vulcans, Romulans had decided that it was easier and more prosperous for everyone to enter into a peace after the fiasco with Nero. The Neutral Zone had been practically dissolved. While the Romulan military still was not happy about it, they realized the necessity of the move. Six weeks after the Nero incident, a Federation starship visited Romulus for the first time peacefully. It went without saying that the star destined to explode in the future and destroy Romulus had a behind-the-scenes impact on this decision. The Federation had put satellites in orbit around the star to detect when it became unstable. It was hoped that if they didn't have a "safe" way to stop it from destroying Romulus, they would be able to quickly evacuate the planet with the Federation's help. That being said, the additional gene pool the Romulans could provide would be a boon to the struggling Vulcan population. Several Romulan families had not only volunteered, but had moved to New Vulcan.

"It's an uneasy truce," Gary said. "But the Vulcans and the Romulans have much to lose if the peace breaks down."

"Well said, Captain Mitchell," one of the Romulans told them. "I am Letus, this is my companion, Centurion Jerot," he said, introducing themselves.

"Centurion, does that make you military?" Jim asked, wandering over.

"Yes, and his brother," Jerot responded. His brown eyes did something that Vulcan eyes rarely did, they smiled. Romulans were clearly not as reserved a people as their Vulcan counterparts. "Your society on Earth is more open than ours is on Romulus."

"It is?" Gary asked.

"Yes," Letus responded. "It is a more militarized one. Ready constantly for war. But for it to survive, it needs the rest of us as well. We live our lives and are generally unbothered by politics or soldiers. Why are you celebrating a new year?"

"It's long been a tradition on Earth," Jim said wandering over. "It's not always been on this day, but Earth's calendar has not always been consistent. A subject I will not bore you with."

Letus laughed, "Interesting. Are you real?"

"Oh, yes, I'm quite real," Jim told him. "Do you have children who might be helped by our program?"

"The Institute and the Academy are fascinating. Children born with such defects are allowed to die on Romulus," Jerot told them. Pain flashed across his face. Jim barely caught the emotion.

"Hey! It's almost time!" Uhura called. "Find your partner!"

Bones turned to find Chris standing beside him. Gaila and Jim smiled at each other and turned to look at the crowd. Gary, surprisingly still, had approached Dehner. They appeared to be having a very intense conversation. "5…4…3…2…1! Happy New Year!" everyone cried. Many kissed their respective partners as others watched and cheered, occasionally blowing a noise maker. Only Jim noticed Gary pressing his lips against Elizabeth in a most familiar manner.

Gaila leaned over, "What's got into him?"

Jim pointed to the doorway above them. "What else? Mistletoe!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

by Starsinger

 **It is the anniversary of the USS Kelvin, and a former Brawn reflects on that day. Don't own them.**

Winona and George approached the Kelvin Memorial on the grounds of Starfleet Academy. A man stood there, the late Captain of the Kelvin, his hand on the replica of a shell, representing the Brain, Brian, lost that day. The statue was much larger than either man had been, but it stood in silent testimony to tragedy, and the triumph of the human spirit. "I still miss him," George said aloud.

"Me too," Winona responded. She stood in the curl of his arm that wound around her shoulders.

George and Winona had entered Starfleet over thirty years before. Both had also gone into the Institute with the hopes of becoming Brawns. She had captivated his attention almost immediately. She was beautiful, smart, and hot. The cadet uniform did everything for her body that it would do for Uhura's years later. Unfortunately, they were in direct competition for the five brains that were in service to Starfleet at that time.

Brian's birth had occurred some 167 years earlier on Earth, and had been one of the first babies in the B & B program. He enthusiastically signed onto the NX-HB-01 USS Enterprise. His Brawn at the time had been the Chief of Communications, Hoshi Sato. The partnership had lasted thirty years and had given him a definite preference for female Brawns.

Winona had turned her nose up at the farm boy from Iowa. She was a city girl, from Chicago, and grew up around aliens and the noises of the city. The only reason George had ever seen an alien was because of the Starfleet Shipyards nearby. He wanted to get away from the farm. It wasn't that he didn't love his family. His father, Tiberius, and Aunt, Francis, were earthy souls who he want around any children that he might have. He just needed to see the world, or the galaxy in this particular case. He knew from an early age he wanted to join Starfleet. After careful consideration, and stories of his great Uncle Herbert who was a shellperson himself, he decided he wanted to be a Brawn too.

The Academy was easy. He was in Command, and she was in Science. There was no need for competition. At the Institute they were neck and neck for the top of the class. They absorbed the information like sponges, and the other brawn candidates, who didn't go through Academy PT every morning, just couldn't keep up. They met three of the brains in service to Starfleet: Herbert, T'Kal, and Brian. All three were partnered, but Brian's Brawn would be retiring in a few years, and one of the shellpeople graduating about the same time, Kanai, would be installed into the USS Hood.

Winona fought for her position, and was second on the USS Denali as back-up to Herbert's brawn while George joined Adrian on the USS Goodrich and T'Kal. Dealing with a Vulcan brain gave George an entirely different perspective. He learned about meditation and emotional control from her, and she learned about farm life in Iowa from George. Lessons they would both take with them into the future. Both also learned how doubling in the position of Brawn and another job could be difficult.

When George and Winona graduated she was less than ½ of 1% of a point ahead of him. They both graduated at the top of their respective fields at the Academy. People were pretty sure they hated each other by the time they graduated. One person knew otherwise.

Christopher Pike was George's best friend, and friend of Winona's as well. They kind of reminded him of a pirate and a princess from a 20th Century movie he watched as a kid. So he did what every best friend and future best man would do for his friends. He set them up on a blind date. He asked Winona out to a local bar the night before they shipped out on different ships. Winona was due out on the USS Hood as Kanai's back-up, and George was heading out on the Denali with Adrian and T'Kal. He walked into the bar with George right behind him. They sat down and talked. That is, George and Winona talked, Chris left after about ten minutes. Satisfied with a job well done, Chris went home and watched those movies all over again.

It would be three years before they met again. By that time Chris was Best Man at George and Winona's wedding. Kanai had officially retired and Winona was Brian's brawn and George became her back-up. It had worked well. Brian was elated with the relationship as these two represented what he dreamed of when he'd decided on Starfleet. They worked well, the Kelvin being a science and exploration vessel their adventures were admittedly limited, but they were okay with that. When Sam was born, healthy and happy, Brian became an ecstatic Godfather. It took six months for them to return to Earth. Sam needed to return to their families, and they both decided that he would live in Iowa. The Kelvin simply wasn't equipped to handle families, but Brian would have cried if he could as Sam waved goodbye to his ship and family. Brian called Sam once a month. Tiberius enjoyed these talks with Brian. He told T many things that neither George nor Winona would.

Jim's condition at birth wasn't really a surprise. The doctor on the USS Kelvin had detected that something wasn't quite right during the first trimester, but it had been something that most fetuses grew out of before they were born. Unfortunately, as he grew, the doctor became more and more concerned that he wouldn't. He advised Winona and George that this baby faced problems that would not allow him to survive. He advised them to abort the fetus. Brian grieved with them as they talked long into the night about their options. They chose to give Jim a chance. Winona felt hopeful as they moved through into the third trimester, her friend Diana Mitchell growing big with another boy. Brian couldn't believe how fast the families were growing.

The ship had appeared to come from nowhere. The first hit had sent Winona into labor. Diana went into labor in a personnel shuttle with just basic medical facilities aboard, aka a first aid kit. While Gary had been born healthy, Diana had bled to death while ill-equipped personnel tried to help her. While Winona had never been in danger, Jim could easily have joined Diana in the afterlife minutes after his birth. When Brian heard Winona's heart wrenching cries at Jim's lack of movement he made the instant decision to take the Kelvin in a head-on collision by himself. One of his servos pushed George into the turbolift and deliberately took him to the deck with the medical shuttle still on board. "Remember me, George," he whispered as he crashed into the Romulan vessel ahead of him.

George and Winona returned to Iowa on extended leave. George was given command of the ship-building facilities there in Riverside. Winona was taking care of their two year old son, Sam, and their newly adopted son, Gary. They obtained pictures of his parents, Cecil and Diana Mitchell, on their wedding day so he would never have to wonder who his parents were and what they looked like. They kept in touch with the son who had miraculously survived long enough to become what he was.

George reached out a hand and touched the statue, "We've never forgotten you, Brian. Jim has done you proud." They turned and walked away. As they passed they heard Spock speaking with Uhura about a supervolcano located on a far away world named Nabiru.

 **That's right, we're starting on the path into darkness. All puns intended.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

by Starsinger

 **Since Jim's stuck on board the Enterprise, we'll find out just exactly what Scotty feels about being beneath the ocean. Don't own them.**

Sulu didn't even try. The Enterprise, like all starships, was not made for planetary control. That ship would come over eighty years later. Anyway, that was what shuttles were for, and the Captain's Yacht, oh the Captain's Yacht. Jim came down over the ocean very carefully and kissed the surface of the ocean before sinking beneath the depths. The idea behind this mission was to observe the process of an erupting supervolcano. Gary and Bones would try to entice the natives away from the danger zone. It was a tricky prospect as Spock would be entering the volcano to take readings, and maybe even stop it, if that cold fission thingy worked.

Bones and Gary left at first light. They used the native's penchant for long cloaks and wraps to hide themselves from sight. Bones had left his ear piece behind as both the volcano and distance would render it useless. Uhura, Sulu, and Spock left the shuttle bay five minutes before on their own reconnaissance. Scotty, was trying the ear piece out and pacing. "The salt water, di ye know wha' it's doin' to the ship?" Scotty asked acerbically.

"Nothing, Scotty, it's not even causing rust to the Enterprise's Titanium shell," Jim replied trying to sound soothing.

"And the sea creatures?! They're big enough to challenge us!" Scotty ranted.

"Scotty, the majority of thumps on the hull are smaller creatures investigating us. The bigger creatures avoid us," Jim told him. "I'm more worried about Gary and the rest."

"What is this water doin' to the engines?" Scotty asked.

"Nothing, Scotty, absolutely nothing," Jim replied.

"Are ye sure?" Scotty asked chewing a fingernail.

"Scotty, I would tell you if I wasn't," Jim replied. "I'd also be the first to know."

"Ye would, wouldn't ye?" Scotty asked. "How does Dr. McCoy function wi' this thing in his ear?" he asked pointing to the device.

Jim laughed. "You'd have to ask him, Scotty. What's making you so jumpy?" Jim asked.

"I dunno," Scotty replied. "This whole mission just seems…off…"

"Hang on, Gary and Bones are coming in airlock 4," Jim told him.

"Airlock 4! Ach, the saltwater!" Scotty began again. Jim chuckled as Scotty went off on his own rant again toward the two men who left rather large puddles in the airlock. Jim sent in servos to vacuum up the water and collect the specimens left on the dry floor for the Science Department. A couple of the fish flopped around.

"Scotty, look, nothing's going to happen to the Enterprise under water!" Jim told him unconvincingly. Meanwhile Gary was trying to get a hold of Spock.

"The volcano is due to explode at any moment," Jim told them. "Uhura and Sulu are back aboard without Spock."

"Who's in the volcano," Uhura responded.

The argument unfolded as Spock told them under no uncertain terms that he was not to be rescued. "If you were in there, what would Spock do?" Gary asked.

"Let you die," Bones replied.

Gary looked around. "Let's get out of the volcano. We're getting Spock. Jim," Gary said looking around. He half-expected to see Jim's holographic self somewhere.

"Hang on, Gary, I'm having difficulty navigating through all this ash," Jim told him as they rose into the atmosphere. "This is going to be tricky. Pavel, I need you to get Spock with the transporter. I need to concentrate with Sulu on flying." Chekov flew out of his chair and disappeared into the turbolift.

"Did we get him?" Gary asked tensely as the ash plume exploded above the volcano and then froze.

"Keptin, ve hawe a Wulcan," Chekov announced. "A wery pissed Wulcan," Chekov told them.

"I'm not…" Jim cut him off as Gary turned toward them.

"We're headed out of the atmosphere," Sulu announced. "Next stop, Earth."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later Gary sat in his quarters contemplating the day behind them. "Did I do the right thing?" he asked Jim. "What would Admiral Pike say about this?"

"He would tell you that Spock should never have been put in that situation to begin with," Jim told him. "Your Captain's Log could come back to haunt you."

"How?" Gary asked. "We got in, recorded the data, saved some natives, and got out."

"They saw us," Jim said quietly. "Message coming in from Starfleet, Gary. Chris wants to see you and Spock when we get back."

Gary perked up, "It's about that five-year mission."

Jim would have looked at him funny if he could. "What do you mean?" he asked. The rumored five year mission had been Starfleet's worst kept secret.

"They're going to give us the five year mission. It makes sense. We're they're newest ship!" Jim sighed as Gary went on.

Jim appeared in Sickbay knowing that's where Bones would be. "He thinks we're getting that five year mission," Jim told him.

Bones looked at him before sitting with a grunt. "What would make Gary think that?" Bones asked pouring himself some bourbon.

"Starfleet sent him a message. Chris wants to see him when we get back," Jim told him. Jim's arms were crossed over his chest as he looked at the desk three feet in front of his Brawn.

"Jim, look at me," Bones told him. Jim's eyes rose to meet his friend's eyes. "I know he's your brother, and you worry about him, but he's going to have to do this by himself. You think this whole Nabiru matter is going to blow up in his face."

"Yes," Jim said honestly.

"Then let it blow up in his face. He needs to learn this lesson himself. I like Gary, he is inspiring on so many levels. We just can't live his life for him," Bones told him. Jim nodded. Bones was right, and Dad would tell him the exact same thing.

 **And we all know, this is about to blow up in Gary's face, right?**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

by Starsinger

 **Shit hits the fan. Don't own them.**

Bones looked at Gary. He was pacing, nervous. Gary never looked nervous, but now he looked like he was about to climb the walls. Bones sighed, "Here, Gary, wear this." He handed a second earpiece to Gary. "It goes to the back-up brawn, anyway. You can talk to Jim if you need to."

"And Jim can keep track of me? Are you giving another one to Spock?" Gary asked.

"He's not a brawn, Gary, and he won't need one," Bones told him. "Just humor your brother."

"And my doctor?" Gary asked. Bones cracked a small smile before Gary inserted the piece into his ear. Bones stood and watched as the transporter beam took Gary and Spock away from the Enterprise. Bones turned with a sigh. He had work to do.

Three hours later Jim appeared in Bones' office. "I **never** trusted that son of a bitch!" Jim spat out.

"Who? Admiral Pike?" Bones asked, confused.

"No! Alexander! He's taken the Enterprise away from Gary!" Jim announced.

Bones dropped the PADD in his hand. "You heard this through the earpiece?"

"Yeah, that and Chris called him. He's trying to get the Enterprise himself. Gary will be his First Officer," Jim muttered.

"Do you know where Gary is?" Bones asked.

"Yeah, one of his usual dives in San Francisco. Wait, Alexander has put out an all call meeting for ship Captains, First Officers, and the two brains in the system," Jim told him. "They'll be feeding me whatever video is presented so I can keep up. If you hadn't given Gary that earpiece you would've been required to attend as well," Jim told him.

"What's going to happen to Spock?" Bones asked.

"He's been reassigned," Jim told him. The video flashed on the screen of the explosion in London and of the mysterious man. "What's in the brief case?" Jim muttered.

"What?" Bones asked. He could hear Gary babbling something over the intercom.

"What's in the briefcase? Wait, if Harrison is Starfleet then he would know that Alexander's first move would be to call this meeting. Gary, grab Chris and get the hell out of the room!" Jim shouted.

Bones watched horrified as light suddenly flooded the room from an outside source. He watched helplessly as shots streaked across the room. Chris went down and Gary dragged him across the room. Bones couldn't tell where Chris had been hit. Then Gary disappeared as Marcus started shouting orders. Bones watched as Spock attended to Chris and others ran in fear of their lives. He soon heard an explosion, it was everything Bones could do not to grab his bag and run for the turbolift.

The next words both Jim and Bones heard loud and clear. "I'm sorry, sir, Admiral Pike is dead," a female voice told Spock. Spock let go of Chris' body as two people picked it up and carried him out. Others were being carried out as well. Some were clearly expired.

"Gary, do I need to come down to help?" Bones asked.

"Yes, please, Bones," Gary choked out. "Chris…" they barely heard the choked whisper.

 _Iowa_

The house comm unit rang. George looked up. He was painting Winona's toe nails. It was a soothing exercise they both enjoyed. Tiberius answered the comm and then returned. "That was Jim, George, Winona. There was an attack at the Daystrom Institute. Admiral Pike is dead."

Winona gasped and began to cry. George reached out his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, heedless of the wet nail polish. "Thank you, Dad. We'll book a shuttle to San Francisco in the morning," he told him. Tiberius left as Winona sobbed on George's shoulder. George kissed the top of her head, letting his tears mingle with hers. Nothing could have prepared either of them for the death of their old friend.

The next day George found Gary standing in front of the building looking at the wreckage. "Son," George began.

Gary turned with a start. His look was haunted as he stared across the distance at the man who had become his father. "Dad," he whispered.

Spock watched as the two men embraced. "How are you?" George asked.

"I want to find the man who did this! I want to make him pay!" Gary got out through clenched teeth.

"I know, but that won't bring Chris back," George told him. "I'm staying here in San Francisco…"

George broke off as Scotty came running across the yard. He had an object in his hand. He kept babbling about transwarp beaming inside the small ship that had attacked the room. "An' if this reading is correct, he's on Qo'noS!" The man gasped out.

"The Klingon Homeworld?" Gary asked. "I need to see Admiral Marcus," he muttered. He hurried away with Spock, leaving George and Scotty behind.

Bones hurried into the void left by his wake. "Have you seen Gary?" he asked George.

"He went that way," George responded pointing to the door. "Why?"

"I need to give him a check-up. It's required after an attack like this," Bones responded. George smiled tightly. Gary never changed. He went kicking and screaming to the doctor, even when he was clearly sick. "Giving Jim a check-up is easier. I at least don't have to chase him through half the ship to give him one."

"You don't crack his shell?" George asked horrified.

"No, I crack the column. We have a tricorder specifically designed to check the condition of shellpeople without endangering them. Gary!" Bones called as the other man hurried across the yard.

"Come on, we're leaving on the Enterprise," Gary muttered.

"Where?" Bones asked.

"Qo'noS," Gary responded.

 _Enterprise_

There was something wrong. The view of the engine area of Engineering went black. He was certain someone was in it. He called for Security, but no one responded. Suddenly, everything went blank. Only the primitive audio and visual units were operational.

No matter what Jim did he couldn't reach anyone, even Gary or Bones. Frantically, he tried to reach his servos as he tried to calm his heart rate down. Then, suddenly, everything came back up. The engines felt alright. He would talk to Scotty, have Keenser go in and check the core. Something bothered him deeply about the whole incident and he filed it with Security for follow-up. He found Gary back on board and Scotty and Keenser leaving. They had quit.

 **While in the cell In STID, Khan asks if the engines have been checked recently. Whoever just did what just happened, was very skilled at handling the machinery, and the senses of a brain.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

by Starsinger

 **Jim is suspicious of the newest blonde on board the ship. I just watched a video as an old friend of mine, Bill, proposed to his boyfriend, Matthew. Congratulations, Bill, I'm very happy for you both! Live long and prosper my friend. Don't own them.**

"What is it about blondes?" Jim mused, not really talking to Bones.

"What do you mean?" Bones asked jogging off the shuttle. He looked over at Gary who was talking animatedly to Dr. Carol Wallace.

"Christine Chapel, Elizabeth Dehner who is still on the ship, Dr. Carol Marcus. Need I say more?" Jim asked.

"Who's Carol Marcus?" Bones asked.

"The woman Gary's talking to," Jim told him.

"Her names Wallace, Carol Wallace. Why'd you call her Marcus?" Bones asked.

"She's Dr. Carol Marcus, daughter of Admiral Marcus. Obviously, she doesn't want us, or her father, to know who she is, or that she's here," Jim mused. "Her name and picture flashed up from Starfleet's records when she came aboard.

"Shall we keep her secret?" Bones asked.

"Why not?" Jim asked. Let's see what game she's playing.

Turned out that Jim wasn't the only one who recognized Carol. Spock also recognized her. She begged him not to tell Gary and he acceded to her request. She walked into Engineering and Pavel and the rest of the crew gave her a wide berth. She walked directly to Jim's column and stared at it. "Are you going to continue to ignore me?" she asked.

Gary, Spock and Uhura were currently on their way to Qo'noS and Gary still had his earpiece in. Jim realized someone was at his column in moments and had to tear his attention away from the interesting fight going on in Mudd's ship. "I wasn't aware I was ignoring you," Jim told her. "Most of my attention has been elsewhere."

"Can I see you?" she asked.

Jim's appeared in front of her. He was a little annoyed as he needed to keep an ear out for Gary and the rest. There wasn't much help he could give them, but if it all went south he and the Enterprise would leave fairly quickly and report to Admiral Marcus. "May I help you?" Jim asked.

"You know who I am," she said. It wasn't a question. Jim nodded. "I've never met a shellperson before. I'm sure you're aware of my father's attitudes about your kind." Again Jim remained silent. "I'm not my father."

"Well, this is true. You came to me and acknowledged me," Jim replied. "I don't think he could bring himself to do that." Jim sighed. "Carol, it's not that I don't like you. You haven't earned my trust. You lied your way on board."

"I know," she whispered. "I just want to help."

"I…" Jim started. "They're back, Harrison is with them." Carol hurried out while Jim readied the cell that would hold Harrison.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Something about the name Khan gave Gary and Bones tugged at the edge of Jim's memory. He searched through Earth's records of the early to mid-21st Century. He not only pulled up the record, he pulled up the only surviving picture of the man known as Khan Noonien Singh. "He's telling the truth," Jim told Gary through his ear piece.

"What?" Gary asked "How?"

"Look on your PADD," Jim told him. Khan watched as Gary appeared to be talking to no one before tapping the item in his hand. He stared at the picture and then at the man. "You're a war criminal," Gary told him.

"I WAS A KING!" Khan told him. "Who told you? How do you know?"

"I just know," Gary said as he turned and left. He needed to talk to Scotty.

"Does this ship have a brain? Can you not show yourself?" Khan asked. Jim shimmered into view inside Khan's cell. Hendorff looked up momentarily concerned. He turned back to his work when he realized who else was in the cell. "James, am I correct?" he asked.

"Yes," Jim responded.

"Join me, Jim. In spite of your physical limitations you're clearly far superior to the likes of Admiral Marcus and his ilk. You and your Brawn will be highly valued in my family," Khan said unexpectedly. Jim remained silent. "No need to answer me now. We have time. You'll have more than one chance to answer me," Khan told him. Jim shimmered out of existence. Khan was entirely mad, or desperate, Jim couldn't tell which.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The soft beep of a heart monitor sounded in the background. Winona and George sat nearby, unable to comprehend what was happening. Two of their sons off to who knew where to avenge the death of their friend. Only, their friend wasn't dead.

Chris had gotten lucky. When Harrison had ripped apart the room with phaser fire, it had hit Chris' leg, tearing open the femoral artery. Had Gary not had the presence of mind to open a nearby first aid kit and slapped on a pressure bandage, Chris would have bled out and died. The only explanation for Gary and Spock believing the paramedic on the scene was that he didn't think he'd reacted fast enough.

Gary nearly hadn't. They had been giving Chris CPR as they rushed him into surgery. He'd gone through six units of blood before the surgery had stabilized him. When Winona and George had arrived, they had been asked to go to the hospital, and wonderfully surprised to find Chris' body alive. He was on life support, not really surprising, but he was expected to pull through.

George paced to the window, wishing the Enterprise and his sons were home. "I have such a bad feeling about this, Win," George said aloud. Winona said nothing as she rose. She put her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I have the bad feeling someone's not coming home alive." Winona caressed his shoulders. There really wasn't anything she could say. She had the same bad feeling that he had and there wasn't a thing either could do.

 **RIP Goblin King**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

by Starsinger

 **Okay, I'm nervous. You're not going to like the ending. Please, no rotten fruit, peasants bearing pitchforks and torches, or fire tribbles aimed at my apartment. All is not lost. Don't own them.**

"Scotty, please, I'm begging you. Check out those coordinates," Gary spoke quickly into the comm.

"Sure, check out these coordinates, Captain Gary Bighaired Mitchell-Kirk! Ye hear me? I called 'im bighaired!" Scotty said with a giggle.

"Are you drunk?" Gary asked incredulously.

Jim laughed. "Look, Scotty, we need you. Something really weird happened not long before Gary returned to the ship, and I wanted you to check it out, but you quit!"

"Alrigh', alrigh' Jimmy. No need to get yer knickers in a twist! I'll do it! Geez, ye think I cannae remember four numbers. What was that last number again?" Scotty asked. "For you I'll do anything, Jimmy."

The link severed as Gary turned to look at Jim. "Do you mean to tell me that all I needed to do to get Scotty back was get you to call him?" Gary asked.

"I'm closer to his engines than you are," Jim told him. Gary couldn't help it, he started to laugh. Minutes later he emerged from yet another talk with Khan with a puzzled look on his face.

"He told me to look in those torpedoes," he told Jim and Spock.

"Perhaps if you talked to Dr. Marcus about opening up the torpedoes," Spock replied. Jim sighed, Spock had no tact whatsoever. He wasn't turning out to be the diplomat Sarek was.

"Who's Dr. Marcus?" Gary asked.

Jim sighed. The cat was out of the bag. "Carol, her name isn't Wallace, it's Marcus," Jim told him.

"As in Alexander Marcus?" Gary asked. "Wait, where's Elizabeth?"

Spock responded unblinkingly, "She had not made it back to the ship before we departed."

Gary's mouth moved as he absorbed the words. "Yes, Gary, you managed to miss her by not missing her," Jim responded as they ran headlong into Carol. Spock and Jim turned left leaving the two alone. "He's unbearably dense about that woman," Jim spoke.

"Dr. Dehner?" Spock asked. Jim nodded. "Indeed. Jim, might I ask a question?" Jim nodded again. "If you had a chance at a body, would you take it?"

Jim considered the question. He, like other shellpeople, often contemplated the question. "I don't know, Spock. I've been like this so long I have no idea what it would be like to be otherwise." Jim turned as Bones went past him. "We're going to an asteroid to look inside the torpedo and Bones is helping with the 'operation'?" Jim asked. Spock and Jim looked at each other perplexed as Gary ascended the stairs. None knew how much danger they were putting Jim's brawn in.

When the door slammed down on Bones' arm, trapping him, Jim's heartbeat skyrocketed. All he could hear was Bones screaming at him to beam Carol up and leave him to die. He wouldn't do that, he couldn't leave his brawn to die. Fortunately, Carol solved the problem. She pulled out the timer shutting down the launch sequence. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief until Bones announced that there was a surprise inside, a human.

Jim watched Bones and Gary talking with Carol over the cryotube. Suddenly, his sensors started beeping at him. He routed it to Sulu who concurred with him and called Gary over the intercom. "Captain, there's a ship approaching from warp space," Sulu told him.

"Is it Klingon?" Gary asked.

"No, coming from the wrong direction," Sulu told him.

"Gary, I wouldn't trust the engines right now," Jim told him.

"Did that incident you spoke of damage the engines?" Gary asked.

"I don't know," Jim responded. "Pavel is trying to fix the problem, but I don't recommend anyone go into the Warp Core. Whoa! That's a big ship!" They all heard Jim exclaim. "Gary, we're being hailed. It's Alexander."

"Marcus? He wants our prisoner," Gary muttered.

Jim had seen Gary talk his way out of many situations. That appeared to be exactly what he was trying to do right now. There was something very wrong about that other vessel. There appeared to be a grand total of twenty individuals running the ship, and it didn't have a brain. Jim gratefully jumped to warp speed as Gary gave the order. Jim spent the entire trip with Sulu nursing the engines. They fell into Earth's orbit. Gary had spent some time in Sickbay talking to Khan desperate to salvage the volatile situation.

Jim hated Marcus even more as he spoke to Gary. "Alright, I'll destroy your ship. You and your abomination that you call a brother will no longer be a burden to Starfleet. He and his kind should never have been allowed to live. Good-bye Captain," Marcus told him.

Gary whirled to face his crew. "I'm sorry," he told them. "I'm sorry, Jim." He didn't hear what the brain said as they waited, and waited. They continued to wait until a familiar voice sounded.

"Enterprise, this is Scotty. I've bought ye a little time! Beam me over so we get the hell outta 'ere!" came the welcome voice. Even the outraged cry, "Wha' hae ye done to my ship?" didn't dampen everyone's spirits.

Minutes seemed like hours while Jim and Khan raced over to stop Marcus. Then, Spock approached Uhura, "Uhura, Jim can you get a transmission to New Vulcan? There's someone who might be able to help us."

It took three satellites, two relay stations, and four AI's associated with ships to get the connection. Finally, the most elderly Vulcan Jim had ever witnessed appeared on-screen. And he had met this man before. "Mr. Spock," the man said.

The bridge went quiet. "Mr. Spock," Spock responded. "I need your help."

"I have no doubt you have called on important business," the elder said.

"What do you know of Khan?" Spock asked.

A deep sigh emanated from the elder Spock. "I have debated what I should tell you, but this, this is different. Khan Noonien Singh is the most dangerous individual I have ever encountered. He will not stop at getting what he wants, whatever it is. He will not hesitate to kill you and your crew if you stand in his way. I strongly suggest that you avoid him."

"Did you defeat him?" Spock asked.

"At great cost, yes," came the response.

"How?" Spock asked. The answer was enlightening. They simply had to outthink Khan. Which was why Bones spent the next hour with his medical and engineering staff along with Carol Marcus disarming the torpedoes long enough to extract their contents.

Bones looked around satisfied. Cryotubes were strewn everywhere, but they were safe. Bones had barely caught his breath and sat down when he felt it. Something slamming into the sides of the ship. They'd been fired on. "Jim! What's going on!" he cried. "Jim? Jim?" his voice became increasingly strident.

"Doctor, are you in contact with Jim?" Sulu asked. "Our Engineering section was just hit and Jim went silent."

"Oh, god no," Bones muttered. "He's gone silent, Sulu. Jim isn't talking to me either."

Sulu went silent. Spock spoke up. "We must assume that Jim has been either killed or severely disabled. Sulu, the ship is entirely yours."

Bones sat down, still trying to reach Jim. No matter what he tried, he couldn't reach him. Finally, in a fit, Bones picked up a PADD and through it against the bulkhead. He had failed. He had failed George, Winona, the Institute, and most importantly, he had failed Jim.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

by Starsinger

 **Now we come to the most heart-wrenching part of STID. But, as we know, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, or in the darkness of space as, at the end, two people venture out to see if Jim is still alive. Unfortunately, for one of them (you know who) is scared to death of this trip, only the idea that Jim is still alive keeps him going. Fortunately, his companion has more confidence. Don't own them.**

Gary and Scotty rushed into Sickbay, Carol between them her knee clearly compromised. "Gary!" Bones exploded in relief.

"Bones! Spock, what did he do?" he asked.

"He detonated the torpedoes Khan beamed over," Bones replied.

"Those people…" Gary responded.

Bones swallowed. "Spock may be green blooded, but he's not cold-blooded. We've got 81 human popsicles right over there," he said gesturing to his right.

Gary's eyes widened as he took in the cryotubes. "Jim, what's going on with the core?" he asked. "Jim?" Gary looked at Bones. "Bones? Where's Jim?"

"The part of Engineering that was hit was where Jim's column is. We don't know if he's alive or not. The fire either cut him off from the ship…" Bones couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Or killed him," Gary responded. "The _son of a bitch_ KILLED MY BROTHER!" Gary shouted. Bones closed his eyes. Scotty laid a hand on his shoulder. Gary took deep gulping breaths. "We need to get to Engineering," Gary said.

"We'll find out what happened to Jimmy when we get the ship taken care of," Scotty told him. Gary nodded as the two dashed off.

Bones managed to strap Carol in and himself in before the ship started turning topsy turvy. It moved up, down sideways, it tipped over, spun in circles, and occasionally came upright. Bones looked over at Dr. M'benga who paled as much as his dark skin would allow. They both could hear Carol wretching as the contents of her stomach decided to return to the world. Then, it stopped. The ship stopped spinning and turning. Bones let out a big whoof of relief.

They unstrapped himself and M'benga did so as well. They went from bed to bed checking on the occupants. Carol was in quite a bit of pain and Bones chose to rectify that. She sighed with relief as Scotty's voice sounded. "Dr. M'benga, we hae one more casualty in Engineerin'. Would ye come down?"

Geoff looked over at Bones who shrugged. His mind was on the upcoming spacewalk he would be taking to see about Jim. Geoff grabbed a body bag, two interns, and headed out of Sickbay. Bones prepared the autopsy table for another body and kept busy, waiting. When Geoff returned not only were the interns with him but Scotty, Uhura and Chekov as well as a security escort. Gary was nowhere to be seen. Bones opened his mouth to ask about Gary when his eyes met Scotty's haunted visage as the interns deposited the bag on the autopsy table. Bones stared at the bag. It couldn't be. He shook his head as he reached for the head of the bag. He opened the bag to find Gary's silent body in front of him. Bones stumbled back into the chair near that dead tribble of Chekov's. The one he'd injected Khan's blood into to see what would happen.

Bones sat there, trying to gather himself enough to do what needed to be done. He wasn't sure he could do it. Face George and Winona with two dead sons. And would that damn tribble shut up! Bones started and looked at the tribble and swallowed. If he could do the impossible, now was the time. "Get my a cryotube! Now!" he called.

The concerted effort galvanized all of Sickbay into action. A random tube was selected and a man was pulled out. Meanwhile, Gary was stripped out of his uniform and his body was prepared for the machine. "Keep him in a coma. Last thing we need is another superman who's awake. McCoy to Bridge, I need Khan alive! Do you hear me? He's our only chance to save Gary!" he only hoped someone could reach Spock in time to keep him from killing Khan.

Turned out Uhura was an excellent choice. Spock dragged the unconscious man and unceremoniously dumped him on a nearby table. The computer activated the restraining field as Geoff and Bones hurried over and drew blood. Not surprisingly, Khan's eyes opened. "Where am I?" he asked.

"Sickbay," Bones told him. "You've killed both my best friends. Your blood might reverse that in one."

"James should still be alive," Khan told him. "I aimed specifically to miss him but disable him." Bones looked at Scotty, hope finally dawning. "What happened to your friend."

"Gary went into the warp core to kick start the engines. The radiation killed him," Bones told him. "Will your blood cure him?"

"Noble end to a noble captain," Khan said. "Marcus had no idea the worth of that man, or his brother. Go get James. I'll direct your friend," he said indicating Geoff behind him, "how to make a serum to beat death."

Scotty touched his arm. "He's right, Leo. If Jim is alive, we need to get to him quickly. Even his primitive sensors will only allow so much in the way senses." Bones nodded, and with a last look at Khan and Gary, left.

Bones was terrified in the environmental suit. The shuttle spacedock had lent them for this trip hovered outside the Enterprise looking at the enormous damage to the ship. The front of the shuttle closed off the pilot and the vacuum of space entered the back. Bones and Scotty walked to the edge of the ramp. Scotty confidently peeled himself off the ramp and waited as Bones took a deep breath and followed him.

Bones resolutely kept his eyes on the hull of the ship. He was afraid to look down at the Earth or at the vastness of space. "Remember, short bursts of energy from the thrusters. We're no' goin' very far," Scotty reminded him. Bones nodded gratefully. The distance closed between them and the area where Jim should be. Bones took a deep breath. They were almost close enough to speak to Jim. "Jim, this is Bones. Are you alright?" Bones asked. Nothing came through, even through the earpiece. Bones looked at Scotty.

"Jimmy, if ye can hear me," Scotty called. "We need ye to blow the bolts holdin' yer shell to the hull of the ship."

Long moments passed before Scotty called again. They soon were able to see the shell. Agonizing minutes passed before, to their relief, brilliant flashes of light could be seen from the bottom of the shell. Scotty yelled in relief as they maneuvered to the shell. "Jim, say something please!" Bones implored.

"B-bones?" came the quivering response.

"I gotcha darlin'," Bones said, tears streaming down his face. He and Scotty laid hands on the shell and started pushing it in front of them toward the shuttle.

"Enterprise!" Scotty called. "We hae a Jimmy!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

by Starsinger

 **Things settle down, more or less, unless you're Gary, Bones, Jim, Spock, Scotty, Jim and Gary's parents, okay, nobody. Farewell, Dr. Lazarus.** **"By Grabthar's hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you** _ **shall**_ **be avenged!"** **Don't own them.**

"Enterprise, we hae a Jimmy!" the announcement came over the comm all over the ship. Spock paused in walking down a corridor to close his eyes in heartfelt gratitude. Uhura displayed an unexpected bout of emotion by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. The crew streaming around them ignored them, or celebrated the announcement in their ebullient way.

Chekov slumped against a console in Engineering and cried. Tears streamed down his face in relief. Sulu broke into a wide smile and cheered along with everyone on the Bridge who started hugging one another. Keenser climbed down from atop Jim's column on the inside of the ship and reached up, patting the column. He knew Jim had been alive. Hendorff in Security stopped and swallowed. He would never take Jim for granted again. He deserved all the respect that could be given. Geoff was on his way down to San Francisco with Gary's cryotubes when he heard the announcement. Nurses and patients also with him reacted with emotion, crying, cheering, or just saying silent prayers. Geoff reached over and patted Gary's tube. "Your brother is safe now, Captain. Now we just need to take care of you," he told the silent man. The cooler with the serum clutched safely in his arms.

Bones and Scotty maneuvered the shell into the shuttle. Scotty hit the ramp button and they waited long, interminable moments for the cabin to repressurise. Bones took a deep breath as the shuttle sounded the all clear and the door slid open to the cockpit. "Hey, when do you want to head down?" the pilot asked.

"Hang on," Bones said. "I need to check his condition." Bones reached into a container that he had personally put the tricorder made to check the physical condition of shellpeople. "Pulse rate is elevated, blood pressure elevated, you're running a temp, Jim. Once we get to the Institute they'll fix you right up."

"What…aren't you staying, Bones?" Jim asked.

Bones sighed. "I am, Jim, it's your brother. I left him in critical condition. Geoff is taking care of him, but I need to be there," Bones told him.

Jim gave an audible sigh. "I understand, Bones. If my Dad could sub as a brawn, or, barring that, there's a woman I worked well with before I graduated, Sally Hemsworth, she could fill in," he told Bones. He activated the magnets on the bottom of his shell attaching himself to the floor of the shuttle. Bones and Scotty strapped themselves in. "Take us back to San Francisco, Stevens," Jim announced.

"Sirs, I have a message from a Dr. M'benga. He says that Geronimo has returned to the plane?" the pilot queried.

Bones sighed with relief. That was the code they'd worked out to let Bones know that the serum worked without alarming Jim. "Tell him thank you," Bones whispered.

The shuttle landed without incident. As Bones, Scotty, Jim and Stevens exited the shuttle they all gasped. The devastation surrounding them overwhelmed them. Jim was suddenly glad his sensory input was limited. "It's worse than it looks isn't it?" Jim asked. Bones and Scotty had briefed him on what had happened on the shuttle ride down.

"Yeah, I wasn't prepared for this," Bones told him. "I have to wonder if this is a good place for Gary to recover."

"Jim!" a woman's voice rang out across the quad. Winona came running over to lay hands on her son's shell. "Chris has been asking after you and Gary."

Bones shook his head. Chris was dead! "Chris who?" he asked.

"Christopher Pike, who else?" Winona asked.

"Isnae he dead?" Scotty asked.

"Gary's quick actions in applying a pressure bandage saved his life," Winona told him. "Go, take care of Gary, Leonard, I'll take care of Jim. Win is staying with Gary."

Bones knelt down next to Jim's shell, making sure he was in contact with him. "I'll keep in touch, Jim. I'll even try to come and see you every day."

"Thanks, Bones, call Jo. Tell her you're okay," Jim told him.

Bones blinked at Jim, "Thanks Jim. It slipped my mind." With a last pat, Bones hurried off to the hospital.

Winona looked at Scotty. "I'm Jim's temporary brawn, Scotty. Have you ever been to the Institute?" she asked. Scotty shook his head. "Come on, Jim. They want to check you out."

Scotty and Winona watched as techs and doctors swarmed over Jim's shell, taking their own readings. The doctors agreed with Bones' assessment of Jim's temp and opened a small portal into the shell and inserted what appeared to some medicine. They seemed absolutely confident and competent in their jobs. They pronounced him in an excellent state considering the stress he'd had over the past few days.

"Mom?" Jim asked. "Will Gary be alright?"

Winona answered honestly. "I don't know, Jim. I hope so."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bones looked down at his unconscious patient. George looked at him. "I don't know, George. This is going to be a tough battle."

"Is this the right thing to do?" George asked.

"I think he gave us his answer by returning to us," Bones told him. "If he didn't want to fight for his life, he would have remained dead."

George sighed as he stroked his son's forehead. "Come back to us, son," he said. This man who had lost his parents on the day he had been born and had carved a place in his adoptive parent's hearts all his own, said nothing. He remained silent and unresponsive. Bones said a silent prayer that he could pull this miracle off, for everyone's sakes.ing with Gary."saved his life,"ay hands on his son'denly glad his sensory input was limited. "trapped th


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

by Starsinger

 **Gary has a crisis leaving Jim to face the Admiralty alone. Someone else steps in. Don't own them.**

Gary lay there gasping for breath. Despite all the medical technology and miracle of Khan's blood, his left lung was filling with fluid stressing his heart. Geoff and Bones were working hard at keeping him stable. George and Winona hovered nearby, trying to not get in the way. Winona's hand was pressed against her mouth as George held her.

"We need to insert a chest tube and intubate," Geoff spoke professionally. "The past three days have been one crisis after another."

"I know," Bones responded. He pulled the appropriate implements out and proceeded to perform the operation. The pressure relieved and the machine helping Gary breathe again, his heart rate stabilized. His face even seemed to relax.

"I should be with Jim," Winona said to George. "But I'm so torn."

"What's going on with Jim?" Bones asked.

"He's facing the Admiralty today," George responded. "And Sally isn't on-planet, not even in the same solar system. He needs someone with him."

Bones smiled, "I know someone who can. He's available, and frustrated. He's not a brawn, but he is Starfleet."

"Is he available?" Winona asked.

"He's twiddling his thumbs," Geoff broke out, laughing as he said it. "And he adores Jim. We are talking about the same person, right?" Bones' eyes sparkled as he picked up his comm.

Scotty walked into the room and looked around. Jim's holographic image paced the front of the room. Jim blew out an explosive sigh of relief at the sight of the Chief Engineer. "How's Gary?" he asked.

"He's hae another bad turn, Jim, I'm no' goin' to lie. Bones asked me to step in, e'en though I'm no' a Brawn," Scotty told him pulling out two chairs. Holoemitters had been installed throughout both the Academy and Headquarters in the hopes that a shellperson would take up the challenge of administering both. Jim took advantage of it even though his shell sat a few feet away.

"You'll do admirably," a voice broke in. Both men straightened to attention as Admirals Barnett, Archer, and Mary Johnson, Commander Starfleet entered the room. Both Jim and Scotty appeared in full dress uniforms and "sat" in the chairs.

"How is Alexander?" Jim asked.

Alexander Marcus had remarkably survived his last encounter with Khan and had been left in the brig on the Enterprise for nearly a week before Hendorff remembered he was there. Gary, Jim, and other critically injured crewmembers took precedence over three broken bones and various cuts and scrapes the Admiral had suffered during the Enterprise's plunge toward the Earth.

"He's recovering at Starfleet General," Mary announced. "His fate will be decided in a few days time. He will be court-martialed and then put on trial for endangering the lives of so many by trying to incite a war with the Klingons."

"What about Khan?" Jim asked.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Mary asked.

"Honestly?" Jim asked. "He was surprisingly tolerant and inviting to me and my brawn," Jim told them. "I think if you awakened his family and offered them a place in Starfleet, without anything hanging over them, they might serve."

The three Admirals paused as they considered his words. "I will consider your words, Jim. At worst he'll be placed back into hibernation and stored with his 'family'. He was as much a victim of Marcus' treachery as you were," she told him.

The questioning commenced. Jim went through his part of everything that occurred. It all came to a crashing halt when Jim came to the point when Khan fired upon the Enterprise, severing Jim's connection to the ship. "He could easily have killed me," Jim told them. "He was very precise when he aimed those weapons so they would do as much damage as possible."

"Which they did," Archer interrupted. "Okay, well, I believe we have as much information as you can provide, Jim. We would like to keep you on here at Starfleet while repairs are made to the Enterprise."

"Not another ship…" Jim said.

"No, T'Kal recently was installed on the science vessel, USS Gagarin. We would like you to take over Administration of HQ and the Academy. Your shell will be hooked up to the computers. You will also be teaching a class. Tactics 101, how to think outside the box." Scotty chuckled. "This will also allow you to see your brother. Although, Chris would like you to come see him when you get a chance."

"It will be good to see him," Jim said. "Thank you Mary, James, and Jon." The three admirals stood and left the room.

Scotty looked sideways at Jim. "Well, tha' was interestin'. Fancy a drink?"

"I don't drink, Scotty," Jim reminded him.

"Aye, but do ye think ye could stay wi' me? We can inspect your new classroom and go see Chris," Scotty told him.

Jim laughed as Scotty rose. They would head over to see Chris next. Gary required Bones' full attention and they would find out about that soon enough. Maybe Jim's parents would be able to join them. If not, he and Scotty would get along just fine.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

by Starsinger

 **I think you'll like this chapter. Gary wakes up, and wants to see his brother. Oh, and some people from the Enterprise are hatching a plot, a plan, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of it. Not all plots and plans are evil ones. Don't own them.**

Gary gasped. Bones looked down to see him open his eyes and look around. "Well, how are ones looked down to see him open his eyes and look around. "and plans are evil ones. Don'e are hatching a plot, a you feeling today?" Bones asked.

Through a dry, cracked throat that hadn't been used in two weeks, Gary managed to get out, "Well enough for a dead man."

"Oh, you're not dead," Bones told him. "But seriously, how are you feeling?"

"I'm…well. Can't move, though. How am I alive?" Gary asked.

"Khan, believe it or not. Made a serum from his blood, injected you with it, and voila! Here you are. But seriously. Are you feeling homicidal, power-mad, or neurotic?"

Gary laughed. "No more than usual. How'd you catch him?"

"I didn't," Bones told him looking over his shoulder before moving away to the other side of the bed.

Spock came into view. "You saved my life," Gary told him. "Thank you."

"You know, Uhura and I had something to do with that," Bones muttered. Gary gave him an eyebrow twitch before returning his attention to Spock.

"No, Captain, you saved me and the crew…" Spock started.

Gary cut him off, "Spock, just…thank you."

"You are welcome…Gary," Spock finally said.

Gary took a long swallow of water before he finally asked the question he needed to know. "What about Jim?"

Spock looked over his shoulder as another figure swam into view. It was Jim in all of his holographic glory. He had on a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt that read, "Admiral Marcus Sucks!" He was also barefoot. Just like his brother. "Jimmy! You're alive?!"

"Yeah, Khan shot above my shell, severing my connections to the ship. Bones and Scotty came out and got me. Mom, Dad, and Scotty have been taking turns being my Brawn," Jim told him. "I'm stationed here at HQ/the Academy until repairs are made to the ship."

"Who's going to be the captain?" Gary asked. He was afraid of the answer.

"You are," Jim told him with a wide grin. "In one year we start our five year mission." No one missed the wide smile on Gary's face as he took in the news. "If you'll excuse me," Jim told him. "My attention is being called elsewhere."

Gary laughed as the hologram faded from view. "Only he would get away with walking around here barefoot," Gary said. He watched as Bones and Spock looked at each other. "What is it? Is Jim not coming along?"

"Oh, no, he's coming along," Bones told him. "He's earned enough for a buyout."

"Battle pay," Gary said. "So he's coming along voluntarily."

"Voluntarily, hell! He was the first one to sign up for the mission!" Bones told him. "We're talking to Hypatia, the majority shareholder of MotoProsthetics."

"What about?" Gary asked.

"You can't say a word about this," Bones told him. Spock nodded. "They're donating a body for Jim to use on the Enterprise."

"Donating? Aren't they expensive?" Gary asked.

"Well, yes," Spock responded. "But, if not for the Enterprise's actions, their manufacturing facilities would have been destroyed. The Vengeance came within feet of their buildings when it crashed into San Francisco."

"How bad was it?" Gary asked.

"Bad enough," Bones told him. "When you're stronger, we'll let you see."

"Why…wait?" Gary asked yawning mid-sentence.

"I think you just answered your own question," Bones told him with a laugh.

"Not…sleepy," Gary said as his eyes closed.

Bones and Spock left the room passing Geoff on their way out. They walked across the quad and to HQ. They found Jim standing in the foyer with Admiral Archer, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, and a little girl no one knew, but was in Sulu's arms. She was staring intently at Jim, as if trying to decide if he was real or not. "Demora, he's real," Sulu insisted.

"But I can't touch him," the little girl, who looked to be about Jo's age of six, said.

Jim smiled sadly. "This is still who I am," he told her.

"Who's this?" Bones asked.

"I'm Demora," she told them shyly. "This is my Daddy," she said leaning in to hug Sulu. Everyone laughed.

"I have a little girl about your age," Bones told her. She lives in Georgia.

"I live here in San Francisco," Demora told him. "So, I can see Daddy when he's on Earth." Soon, a young woman came to them. "Mommy!" Demora announced, waving at her.

"Were you good for your Daddy?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Mommy, very good. Can I come back tomorrow?" she asked.

"No, you have school tomorrow," she told the little girl. "However, everyone's invited to dinner," she said, looking around. Sulu was clearly on better terms with his ex than Bones was with his.

Everyone agreed, immediately, except Jim. She looked at him inquiringly. "Jim, your holoemitter," Uhura told him.

"I would love to," Jim responded.

Then it occurred to her, "Oh, you're the Brain!" She smiled widely, "I'm Lee Sulu. Not only am I Demora's Mommy, but I work for Motoprosthetics! I'm in charge of the complicated electronics going into the bodies we're building many of the shellpeople."

Jim gave her a genuine smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Although I'll never be able to afford a 'body', I appreciate your efforts on our behalf."

"But, you…" Sulu quickly shook his head trying to let her know to bring that line of thought to a halt.

Fortunately, another little voice broke the tension. "Daddy!"

Bones turned to find his daughter, his little girl, Jo, racing across the room to him. All he could think to do was fall to his knees and scoop her up. Jo's arms wound themselves around his neck. He looked up at his smiling friends, the hardships of the past few weeks momentarily forgotten. All was suddenly well with the universe.

 **Demora's appearance in Star Trek: Generations comes full circle. According to a behind the scenes for Star Trek: Beyond, Sulu has a daughter in this universe too. Her picture is resting on his console.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

by Starsinger

 **Jim gets his new body. His parents finally get to watch him take his first steps. Don't own them.**

Tia and Alex made sure they were on Earth when Jim's new body was delivered at the Academy. Tia had specifically set her ship down at the shuttle port so her own body could be there when the big unveiling occurred. Gary in a hoverchair, Bones, Alex, Tia, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Spock, George, Winona, Sam and Jon were all there when the box was delivered.

Bones had touched Tia's "body" and found that it was surprisingly warm and soft. It also only weighed 135 pounds. He had expected it to weigh more. The delivery men wheeled the box in and used crowbars to open the crate. They all gathered around the box and looked down. "Well, it looks like him," Alex announced. Bones laughed since Alex was Tia's brawn, not Jim's.

"Well, are you going to get him out of there?" Gary asked. They all turned to look at him. "Well, I can't help him. It would probably be easier for him to figure it out if he was at least sitting. Babies when they first star to pull themselves upright do so from a sitting position."

Bones shook his head, Gary would be the only one to think about that. Bones and Spock reached down and took the figure by the hands and pulled it upright. Jim's new body immediately doubled over nearly toppling both men. Sulu, Chekov, Alex and Scotty immediately stepped in to help. They wrestled it into a chair and looked around. "He's heavier than you are," Alex told Hypatia. She laughed. Bones found he like the sound of that laugh.

"Jim, could you join us?" Archer asked.

Minutes later Jim materialized in the room, this time wearing a black shirt and pants. He still wore no shoes. "Yes, Jon, I…" he let out a gasp as he saw the figure in the chair. He walked over and reached out, as if touching it. It was wearing a generic blue jumpsuit. "How?" he finally asked.

"The Executives at MotoProsthetics felt you deserved it. This will give you plenty of time to get used to using it. They watched as Jim's eyes lit up and he disappeared. Tia smiled as they watched Jim twitch. Finally, coordinated movements of head and hands and arms occurred. He finally raised his head. "It takes a little more coordination than you're used to, Jim," Tia told him. "Do any of you have any idea what it takes just to stand up?"

Gary raised his hand, "I do." Everyone laughed. Winona turned on a video recorder as Jim, unsteadily, got to his feet. Bones and Alex stood nearby to assist, in case he needed it.

"This is weird," Jim mumbled, his mouth moved with his words. His left foot shuffled forward and then his right as he took his first steps. "This is also hard," Jim said.

"Tell me about it," Gary muttered.

They watched as Jim's self-conscious steps became steadier and more sure of themselves. He smiled, transforming his face into something truly beautiful. Jon's comm went off, "Admiral, half the systems in the Academy have gone down and we can't get them back or contact Jim."

Archer laughed. "No one's here and you're worried about power?" he asked. "They'll be back up soon, Kurt, I promise."

"Ye'll hae more power on the Enterprise, Jim. The engines themselves will allow ye to use yer new body while we're at Warp," Scotty told him. Jim smiled as he sat down and slipped back into his normal mode. It was the combination of both Tia and Jim using their bodies that brought down so many systems at the Academy.

"Just think of it this way, Jim. Now, Demora and Jo will be able to give you a 'real' hug," Sulu told him as he rematerialized in the room.

"I'm looking forward to that," Jim told them. The smile told them that he truly was.

 **A few years ago I took a class in Anthropology. One of the things we had to do was write an owner's manual in walking upright. No matter how hard you thought about what steps you took to describe how to get up from the chair, someone always managed to look like Quasimodo. It was very funny. Try it. I mean describing how you stand up and walk and see what happens. It will be interesting.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

by Starsinger

 **Don't own them.**

Chris awoke to find Jim sitting on his bed. Chris blinked. Jim was sitting ON his bed. No hologram, no dream, Chris reached out and touched Jim. It was warm and seemed to be alive. "How?" Chris asked, sitting up.

"Hypatia Cade," Jim replied. "She's a majority stockholder in MotoProsthetics. They built her an entire body, and she uses it. The actions of the Enterprise with Khan and Admiral Marcus led them to donate a similar body for me." Jim reached up and scratched his head. "As long as I'm somewhere within reach of my shell, I can operate this body. Gary's jealous," he said with a laugh.

"Get up! Walk!" Chris told him. Jim obliged. This time he wore a command uniform with Lieutenant's stripes on the edge of his uniform top. He was even wearing shoes. Chris smiled at the young man. "This is amazing. I've heard you've earned your buyout," Chris said with a smile.

Jim shook his head. "I can't imagine not being back on the Enterprise. Heard anything about Alexander or Khan?" he asked.

"Marcus is being sent to a penal colony a long way from here. Where he can do less harm. Khan's people have been awakened and have agreed to help Khan and Starfleet upgrade their systems, not just their weapons systems. He wants to work with you in upgrading the Enterprise's computer systems. He's apparently fascinated by you and other shellpeople. He's offered his services in helping them be even more efficient," Chris replied. "He's practically adopted everyone on the Enterprise who survived.

Jim stared at him, "Why?"

"You, all of you, acted honorably. He cited Spock's decision to remove all of his family before letting them be transported over to the Vengeance as proof of it. Now, onto even better news. Because of the transfusion allowed to be given to me, I'm getting out of here tomorrow, AND I'm coming with you on the Enterprise!" Chris said with a huge smile.

Jim smiled, "That's wonderful. I'm going to have to put this away before someone starts yelling about energy consumption and lights flickering. I'm reassured this won't be a problem on the Enterprise. Something about the excess energy output of the warp core. You know what that means?"

"3-D chess!" Chris smiled. Jim smiled and turned to leave. Chris smiled as Jim walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uncle Jim!" two little voices sounded. It had been six months since the Vengeance. Chris and Gary were up and moving, albeit slowly. Jim was wandering around Starfleet HQ when he heard Demora and Jo racing toward him. Neither had seen his new body, but had heard about the new body. Jim got down on his knees and held out his arms. Little arms wound their ways around his neck and kissed his cheeks. His first kisses delivered by a pair of six year olds.

"Demora! Jo!" Jim exclaimed. "I told you I was real," he told them. He very carefully stood back up. It took him a few moments to adjust to the added weight. He looked up to find both Lee and Joscelyn walking toward them. "Hello ladies," Jim told them.

Demora and Jo giggled. "Look, Mommy! Uncle Jim has a body!" Demora cried. Both girls demonstrated this by kissing him again. Jim giggled.

"How long are you in town?" Jim asked Joscelyn.

"We've moved here," Joss told him. "Starfleet has hired me as a consultant."

"You've enlisted," Jim said bluntly.

"Yeah, I have. Jo and I will be joining the Enterprise on her mission," Joss told him.

"You're still in love with him," Jim told her. "So, Jo's staying with Bones for six weeks?" Joss nodded her head to both statements.

"Joss?" another voice added to the scene.

"Daddy!" Jo cried. Jim put her down and she raced over to her dad. Bones scooped her up and hugged her. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I…I'm joining Starfleet," Joss told her. "Six weeks boot camp, you wouldn't mind babysitting, would you?" Joss asked in a small voice.

"Starfleet?" Bones asked. "Why?"

Joss walked up to him and caressed his cheek. "I missed you," she told him. "Your Mom realized it before I did. She told me to leave, go find you."

"Who convinced you to…" he asked.

"I did," another voice joined them. They turned to find Chris standing there. "Couldn't have the Enterprise's CMO pining for his ex-wife and little girl." Bones' face lit up as he realized his dreams were coming true.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"A year ago we all stood on the precipice of disaster. We watched as a city was devastated and people died. Today, we stand as a testament of the resilience of all living things," Gary stood at the podium looking out over the crowd. His crew sat feet away: Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, Pike, Dehner, Marcus, and Jim. His holoemitter carried by an excited Jo who sat between him and her mother, also in uniform.

"When Admiral Christopher Pike administered the Officer's Oath upon becoming the Captain of the Enterprise, I didn't appreciate what that truly meant. I do know. I now repeat what he had me recite:

Space, the final frontier,

These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise,

Her five year mission to explore strange, new worlds,

To seek out new life, and new civilizations,

To boldly go where no one has gone before."

Gary watched as Jim disappeared, to return to the Enterprise. He smiled as he stepped off the stage, receiving the congratulations and best wishes from his fellow captains and the admiralty. As they shuttled up to the Enterprise he watched the people he had come to know as his family tense with anticipation. Sulu clutched a picture of Demora in his hand as Bones clutched Jo's hand on one side and Joss' on the other. Their relationship wasn't perfect, they were working on it.

Gary entered the bridge to find Jim waiting for him and he smiled. This was a good day. He sat back in the Captain's chair and looked around. Everyone was here. "Hey, Sulu?"

"Yes, Captain," Sulu asked.

"Get us out of here. We've got new places to go. Can't do that here," Gary said. The bridge crew burst into laughter as Sulu set course and proceeded to zoom out of the solar system. It was time to explore.

 **No, not the end of the story. We've many more adventures to go on. I hope you're not disappointed about my bringing Jo and Joss on board!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

by Starsinger

 **Somewhat inspired by "Life Drawing Class" by Lovefushia. Jim tries something with his new body that he did well with the servos on his shell. Don't own them.**

The first time Jim showed up in the new rec room he did so on a Friday night rec night. He also did so in his body. He'd gotten used to it around the Academy, and he'd also gotten used to people touching him there. Tonight, he was trying something a little different.

All shellpeople had drawing classes. It was a way of fine tuning their touches with the servos on their shells, and by extension, their future assignments. Jim had managed a very fine replica of "Dogs Playing Poker" by C. M. Coolidge on the head of a pin. It required a microscope to see it if you had normal eyes. George and Winona had framed it and put on the refrigerator right beside the blown up picture of what was on the head of the pin. "Jim's first refrigerator art," they told people. The family and Chris laughed. Most others didn't get it.

Jim set up his tripod, stool, pencils and sat in front of the couch. The object of his study was arranging herself on said couch. "Is this the way you want me?" Dehner asked. She was sitting with her legs curled up next to her. She leaned against the arm of the couch with her hand resting on her fist. Her blonde hair in a bob swept the top of her shoulder as she tilted her head just so. Her blue eyes sparkled as she playfully looked at Jim.

"Perfect, Elizabeth," Jim told her. He picked up one of the pencils and frowned. He'd been practicing this movement with his fingers and hands for months now, he just hoped he could pull this off. Elizabeth was one of the few female crewmembers who chose to wear pants. The long line of her legs weren't so much as concealed as enhanced by the black fabric. It left much to the imagination, leaving her an enigma to the male portion of the crew.

Jim's fingers started to draw tentatively at first, but became sure as the body understood what Jim wanted from it. Jim had never gone through puberty, joys of the operation he'd had soon after his birth to keep his body small, but certain hormones had been added to his shell during maturation. Some of them allowed his voice to deepen. This was fortunate, it would have been difficult for adults to deal with someone who sounded like he was still ten.

It also allowed him to appreciate the female form. Dr. Elizabeth Dehner was beautiful.what was on the head of the pin. Winona had framed it and put on the refrigerator. " Nyota Uhura was also beautiful, but she was more exotic than Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a classical, European beauty with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Her pale skin softened somewhat by a natural blush. Her attitude on the couch was playful.

"Is this what they call the 'casting couch'?" a voice asked. Jim briefly looked up to see Gary standing behind him.

"I wanted to take up art again, and see how this body would manage it," Jim told him. "Elizabeth was kind enough to volunteer."

Joscelyn's voice came from behind him. "Can you do one of me and Jo? This is good."

"Sure," Jim told her. "Another time?" he asked still concentrating on the drawing.

"Yeah, no problem," Joss said as they all stood, absorbed by what Jim was doing. Even Spock and Chris had to stop and watch.

"His first was 'Dogs Playing Poker' while still at the Institute. It helps with the servos on their shells. Nobody could see it though, it was on the head of a pin!" Chris said, chortling.

"The motor skills required by something that small is fascinating," Spock said. To everyone's delight, he sat in a nearby chair and placed a musical instrument, a Vulcan Lyre, in his lap and started to play. Jim briefly glanced over and knew how he wanted to draw the Vulcan First Officer. Jim finished the drawing and sat back.

"Has he drawn you, Gary?" Chris asked.

"Oh, yeah, most of the Institute's kids did at one time or another," Gary responded. "They encouraged the families of shellpeople who were willing to keep in touch, to visit, in person. My favorite drawing was one he did of Grandpa Tiberius and his sister, Frances, jumping over the moon."

"Jumping over the moon?" Scotty asked as Elizabeth came over to admire the drawing.

"Hey diddle, the cate and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon,

The little dog laughed to see such a sport,

And the dish ran away with the spoon."

"Huh?" Jo asked. "That sounds like an old nursery rhyme."

Jim smiled at her as Elizabeth took in the drawing. "It is sweetheart. The drawing was my take on the rhyme. What do you think, Elizabeth?" he asked.

"It's beautiful, Jim. Can we put it up here?" she asked.

"Don't see why not," Gary said. "Maybe we can encourage others to contribute to the area. Make it look a little more like home." Everyone agreed.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

by Starsinger

 **Making another crossover here, hope nobody minds. She's staying a Yeoman because she didn't want to embarrass the guys at the Academy. Don't own them.**

The stop at Betazed was to pick up new crewmembers, mostly enlisted, in exchange for those whose tour of duty were expiring. Two women stood waiting at the transport area studied each other. One was a Yeoman, non-com, whose raven hair and intense black eyes drew stares even here. The other would have appeared blonde and bland beside her if not for her Lieutenant's rank. "Waiting for the Enterprise?" the brunette finally asked.

"Yes," the blonde finally responded. "I'm joining…rejoining their Medical Department, Christine Chapel," she said, sticking out her hand. "You are human, right?"

"Diana Prince," the other woman responded taking her hand. "I'm joining the operations department as an expert in History and Antiquities. I'll be serving under Lieutenant Marla McGivers," she said.

"Your accent, where do you hail from?" Chris asked.

"A small island near Greece," Diana responded conversationally.

They were interrupted by a technician. "Everyone! The Enterprise just called. They'll beam you up as soon as they transport the other personnel down. Please, stay where you are!"

Diana nodded, looking around. Thirty people awaited transport, she wondered if she and Chris would even end up on the same transporter pad. She watched as a similar number of people appeared on the planet. She gave a side-ways look at Chris, "Here we go." Chris returned the smile. They soon felt the familiar tingling as a transporter locked onto them and they disappeared.

They appeared next to each other and looked around. The clean grey lines showed some wear and tear after a year in space it was normal for a ship that had yet to see space dock. A blonde man stood in the corner who looked vaguely familiar. "Steve?" Diana asked.

"I'm sorry?" the young man asked.

"I'm sorry, you just reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago," Diana responded. "Yeoman Diana Prince," she said, snapping out of her reverie.

"Lieutenant James Kirk," he responded, "ship's brain. Call me Jim."

Diana stepped back momentarily. The world she'd grown up in and heard about left infants who were deformed or ill out in the wild to die. She just considered this man's presence another step in Humanity's evolution. "Diana Prince," she told him. "Are you a hologram?"

"Yeah, hey Chris," he said looking behind her.

"Hey, Jim," Chris told him.

"Do I call you Lieutenant or what?" Diana asked as he escorted them out of the transporter room.

"No, everyone calls me Jim. As enlisted you have to share your quarters with another enlisted. It'll be a woman, Diana," he told her.

"Oh, that'll be fine, thank you," Diana told him. She watched as he turned and left with Chris who would get her own quarters. The door closed behind her and she leaned against it before letting out a long breath. Jim looked so much like Steve Trevor it was eerie. She wondered if they were related. It didn't matter, she was here. She walked to her closet and discovered her suitcase had been placed within. She didn't hear someone come out of a joint bathroom as she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Oh, hi! You're here!" she turned around to find a blue skinned, white haired woman with antennae atop her head coming out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her. "You must be Diana Prince. I'm PO3 El'Dari," she said holding out her hand.

Diana took it with a smile. "Yes, that's me." She turned back to the closet to lay out her few items of clothing as well as her uniforms. "Does Jim always escort new crewmembers?" she asked casually.

"Sometimes, he likes to have initial contact with new crewmembers. Especially when some of them are returning crewmembers. Nurse Chapel was with you, wasn't she?" Diana nodded. "There you go. Oh, Lieutenant McGivers stopped by earlier. Said she'd be to give you your orientation at 1400 hours." She finished as she pulled off her towel and proceeded to get ready for sleep. "I just got off shift and need some sleep. I'm in Science, Astrophysics."

"Sounds like fun," Diana responded. She quietly finished her chores and sat down on her bunk. It was 0900, El'Dari had just come off Alpha shift and Diana had five hours before McGivers would be by, and she was hungry. She walked out into the corridor and pictured the map she'd memorized in her mind as she made her way to the turbolift. "Deck 4," she told the machine. She felt the lift move upward. She arrived at the Galley to find scattered crewmembers eating and chatting. She went to a dispenser to retrieve her tray and turned to look around.

A group of women, both officers and enlisted, sat around one table. A striking black woman gestured her over. "You must be Yeoman Prince," she said genially. "I'm Nyota Uhura. Go ahead, sit," she told her. "That's Joscelyn McCoy, Elizabeth Dehner, Joanna McCoy, Carol Marcus, and your boss, Marla McGivers," Uhura told her.

A mahogany haired woman at the end of the table waved at her. "Welcome to the Enterprise, Ms. Prince!" the little girl, Jo she corrected mentally, piped at her.

Diana smiled at the little girl, "Thank you, Jo!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

by Starsinger

 **Diana becomes more acquainted with her new assignment and those around her. Don't own them.**

Diana sat at the empty table in the mess. A sketch pad sat on the table in front of her. She held a charcoal pencil in her right and what appeared to be an ancient Egyptian Pendant in her left. The only problem was that it wasn't found in Egypt. It was found in ancient ruins on the planet of Debron IV. A planet whose intelligent species had bombed themselves out of existence 2,000 years ago according to the radiation half-lives left in the soil. The planet would be uninhabitable for thousands more years.

The pendant resembled a large, gold and turquoise Ankh dangling from a silver chain. Archeologists working in three hour shifts in hazmat suits had managed to dig up several artifacts similar to the one she held. Diana's specialty was the Mediterranean, and so she had been assigned to what was coming up. She sighed as Jim finally swam into existence in front of her. "I'm sorry it took me so long, Diana. There've been unusual solar flares from the local primary. They've been playing havoc with our shields," Jim told her taking a seat across from her.

Diana held up the object in her left hand, still drawing on her sketch pad, "What do your records say about this?" She placed the object on the table between them. Jim was silent as she finished sketching it.

"Radio carbon dating, and yes we can manage that in spite of the radiation present, and the decontamination, we can manage that. It is approximately 3.500 Earth years old. Its metals are all native to this planet. Yes, I realize this planet has many of the same materials of Earth, but there are other minerals present on this planet that aren't found in the Terran solar system. The gold and silver are similar to that found on Earth, but that's not turquoise," Jim told her.

Diana picked up another object that looked like a Scarab. "I suppose this is not amber," she mused.

"No, the trees that produced that sap went extinct, along with most of the large life forms, 2,000 years ago," he told her. "If this was an off-shoot of Ancient Egypt, the writing on the back would be hieroglyphs, wouldn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, and if these are writing, they are not hieroglyphs," she told him. She picked up the back of the Ankh and started to sketch what was on the back. "The trick, of course, will be to decipher what this might say. Difficult under the circumstances considering they wiped themselves out," Diana told him. "Very rude of themselves, if you ask me."

Jim chuckled. "Can I be frank with you, Diana?" he asked. She nodded. "I'm concerned. There seems to be a pattern forming. We've run across a line of planets whose civilizations have wiped themselves out, and we don't know why. The time since the event occurred has become smaller and smaller, and it's headed in a definite direction."

"Toward several Federation colonies, including Deneva," Jim whispered.

"Deneva?" Diana asked.

"My brother, Sam, and his family live there," Jim whispered. Diana almost reached out a hand to touch him. She barely remembered that she couldn't and finished sketching the Ankh instead.

"Is there any sign of trouble from any of the colonies that might be affected?" Diana asked.

"No, they checked in as normal yesterday," Jim told her.

Diana gave him a wide smile, "Well, that's good. Maybe we're wrong." He nodded. He gave what information he could about the remaining objects before he was called away. Diana frowned. It had been 300 years or so since she'd met Steve Trevor. The young man who ran the ship bore a striking resemblance to the man she knew. Like so many families, records for both his parents' families ended just after World War III when just surviving the aftermath of a Nuclear War was paramount. He could be a descendant of Steve's; he could also just be a doppelganger.

Lieutenant McGivers slid into a chair next to her to see the sketches Diana made. "Wouldn't be easier just to scan them into the computer and study the pictures?" she asked.

"It would," Diana told her. "But it wouldn't convey the sense of holding the object as you sketch it," Diana told her. "My mother is an antiques dealer. She instilled in me the importance of doing things the right way. Jim will scan it later."

Marla peered at the sketch pad. "You're good," she said.

"Lots of practice," Diana told her as the mess began to fill with hungry crewmembers. Marla and Diana gathered their loot and other supplies before slipping out. They'd finish this later.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

by Starsinger

 **Again, I was startled by someone making their own story to this one, and it told me that maybe we need to move on to Deneva. Don't own them.**

"Gary," Jim suddenly announced on the Bridge, "We have an incoming call from Earth. It's Sam."

Gary sat bolt upright in the command chair. "Sam?" he asked. I'll take it in my office, Spock, you have the conn."

Jim joined Gary in his office. Four days ago they had lost contact with Deneva. Gary had been biting his nails over the fate of their brother. Now they would know. The screen materialized only to show Peter jumping up and down in front of it. "Not now, Peter. Go get ready for bed," a male voice sounded behind the child.

"But I wanna say hi to Unca Gary and Unca Jim," Peter replied petulantly.

"Then say hi, Peter, they're right there," the tired voice told him.

The little boy's face lit up as he waved at the screen. "Hi Unca Jim! Hi Unca Gary!" Another hand reached into the viewing area of the screen and took the boy's hand revealing Sam sitting behind the monitor.

"Hey, Sam, you're no longer on Deneva," Jim said, stating the obvious.

"Nope, I got a job offer I couldn't refuse here on Earth, and Aurelan had a bad dream. So, we're back on the family farm for now. Kids are loving it," Sam smiled fondly as a little girl did a cartwheel through the shot behind him.

"A bad dream?" Gary asked whimsically.

"Yeah, crazy, isn't it? Hey, I heard you're out that way. I was trying to get a hold of some of my colleagues. I left some stuff behind and was hoping they could ship it to Earth…" Sam's voice trailed off as he saw the looks exchanged between Jim and Gary. "Wha…what is it?"

"We lost contact with Deneva four days ago," Gary told him. "We're headed there, but there's a long line of empty, dead planets in its path. Did you notice **anything** unusual as you left?"

Sam frowned. "There was an unscheduled freighter heading inbound as the liner we were taking was heading outbound. It didn't answer to any hails from the captain," Sam told them. "Do you think it's something serious?"

"We hope not," Gary told him. "We'll let you know what we find out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can't take it any longer!" the madman's voice sounded over the com. "It's killing us all!"

"What's killing you?" Gary's voice sounded. The ship carrying the unknown man approached Deneva's star.

"I can't tell you! It won't let me. Wait! I'm…I'm free!" the man cried just before the ship burned up in the star's corona.

"Jim, what was that?!" Gary demanded.

"I don't know, Gary. He was under some kind of duress. Maybe, something was controlling him?" Jim said.

Gary shook his head as he picked out a landing party. He was going to find out what was going on. As he, Hendorff, Spock, Bones and several security guards beamed down, everything seemed quiet. No one was about and it was midday. Sam had given them the address of a colleague and his family. They had beamed down near the home. They started looking around as what appeared to be a mob came running at them. The oddest things contradicted themselves with it. They were carrying bats and metal poles, yet they were calling at them to leave, get out before it was too late.

They examined the men, but nothing was obviously wrong. Bones shook his head as they headed for the house. They opened the door and discovered a man's body lying on the floor. Next to him lay two young children, both still alive. A woman cowered on the couch, holding a cushion in front of her. "Don't let it in!" she wailed. "Not my babies!"

Gary gently grasped the woman's arms, "Sally? Is that you?"

"Do…do I know you?" she asked. She searched Gary's face.

"I'm Sam's brother, Gary. We're here to help," he told her. She screamed a loud, piercing scream that dug to his very soul before she collapsed into his arms sobbing.


End file.
